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A cultural paradigm shift in violence prevention & mental wellness

K-12 Curricula helping youth build healthy relationships and reduce harm to themselves and others.

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Our mission

A cultural paradigm shift in violence prevention & mental wellness

Nest is the only prevention program that fully addresses the interconnectedness of all forms of violence.

Humans have a deep need for significance and belonging. When that need goes unmet, and individualism, isolation and dividedness take root, harm (direct, indirect and self inflicted) will sprout. All of our programs, including our You Belong Here™ Curriculum for K-12, build people up; encouraging healthy relationships and meaningful connections, and nurturing individuals' sense of purpose. The result is happier humans that do less harm.

prevention education programing

Hear from nest
students & Teachers

for youth

Curricula

for educators

Curricula Trainings

for schools & Communities

Tailored Workshops

for schools admins

Victim Assistance Response

our programs

Solutions for Everyone

We know that harm-reduction solutions need to work at scale and be flexible enough to adjust to meet the needs of different stakeholders. To achieve this, we have created a toolkit of solutions that will help not only students and teachers but also policy-makers, law enforcement officials, school districts, and communities.

Our mission

A cultural paradigm shift in violence prevention

To prevent harm by addressing the interconnected nature of all forms of violence while prioritizing human connection to foster a society where everyone is valued.

Nest is the only prevention program that fully addresses the interconnectedness of all forms of violence.

our programs

offerings for all

for youth

Curricula

for educators

Curricula Trainings

for schools & communities

Workshops

for school admins

Victim Assistance Reform

our curricula

Strengths-based & trauma-informed education

NEW! K-12TH gRADE

You Belong HereTM

MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL

Healthy RelationshipsTM

Elementary School

Healthy ChildhoodsTM

our advisory board

Collaboration For A Comprehensive Solution

Elena Lister, M.D.

Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College, Grief Specialist.

Ravikiran Raju, M.D.

Pediatric Physician Scientist, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Picower Institute of Learning and Memory at MIT, Adverse Childhood Experiences and Neurodevelopment.

Kaitlyn Burnell, Ph.D.

Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Developmental Psychology and Psychological Outcomes of Digital Technology in Children and Teens

Stephanie D. McCall, Ed.D.

Curriculum & Teaching, Columbia University

Niobe Way, Ed.D.

Professor of Developmental Psychology

Dr. Sharon Cooper

CEO of Developmental & Forensic Pediatrics, P.A.

Mary Frances O'Connor, Ph.D

Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Arizona

Jeff Temple, Ph.D

Professor, licensed psychologist, and the Vice Dean for Research and Scholarship for the School of Nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch

Kristen Linquist, Ph.D

Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience

Niobe Way, Ed.D.

Professor of Developmental Psychology

Dr. Sharon Cooper

CEO of Developmental & Forensic Pediatrics, P.A.

Adriana Galván, Ph.D

Director of the Developmental Neuroscience Lab and Co-Executive Director of the Center for the Developing Adolescent at USC

Shafia Zaloom

Health educator and author whose work centers on human development, community building, ethics and social justice

Peter Langman, Ph.D.

Expert on the psychology of school shooters and other perpetrators of mass violence

Sharon Cooper, MD

Developmental and forensic pediatrician

Dr. Arie W. Kruglanski

Esteemed scholar of radicalization and terrorism, focusing on human motivation as it relates to thinking, feeling and behavior

Staci Whitney, L.M.S.W.

Expert on interviewing children and adults with disabilities

Jeff Temple, Ph.D

Vice Dean School of Nursing UTMB and Founding Director of the Center for Violence Prevention

Pamela Mejia

Head of Research at Berkeley Media Studies Group, specializing in narrative change, strategic communication, and media advocacy support

Lisa Arnett

Foster-care advocate and survivor

Tim Kordic

LAUSD, Project Manager for comprehensive sexual health/and HIV prevention-education

Abbie Richards

TikToker and TikTok disinformation researcher

Kaia Stern

Cofounder and Director of the Prison Studies Project at Harvard University and lecturer speaking on topics such as liberation theology, ethics, punishment, and race.

Mary-Frances O'Connor

Researcher focusing on the physiological correlates of emotion, in particular the wide range of physical and emotional responses during bereavement, including yearning and isolation

Coming Soon

Expert on Bullying, Social-Emotional Learning and School-Based Interventions

Coming Soon

Expert on Climate Change and Belonging

Coming Soon

Expert on Neuroplasticity and non-violence

Adriana Galván, Ph.D

Director of the Developmental Neuroscience Lab and Co-Executive Director of the Center for the Developing Adolescent at USC

Shafia Zaloom

Health educator and author who's work centers on human development, community building, ethics and social justice

Peter Langman, Ph.D.

Expert on the psychology of school shooters and other perpetrators of mass violence

Sharon Cooper, MD

Developmental and forensic pediatrician

Dr. Arie W. Kruglanski

Esteemed scholar of radicalization and terrorism, focusing on human motivation as it relates to thinking, feeling and behavior

Staci Whitney, L.M.S.W.

Expert on interviewing children and adults with disabilities

Jeff Temple, Ph.D

Vice Dean School of Nursing UTMB and Founding Director of the Center for Violence Prevention

Pamela Mejia

Head of Research at Berkeley Media Studies Group, specializing in narrative change, strategic communication, and media advocacy support

Lisa Arnett

Foster-care advocate and survivor

Tim Kordic

LAUSD, Project Manager for comprehensive sexual health/and HIV prevention-education

Abbie Richards

TikToker and TikTok disinformation researcher

Kaia Stern

Cofounder and Director of the Prison Studies Project at Harvard University and lecturer speaking on topics such as liberation theology, ethics, punishment, and race.

Mary-Frances O'Connor

Researcher focusing on the physiological correlates of emotion, in particular the wide range of physical and emotional responses during bereavement, including yearning and isolation

Coming Soon

Expert on Bullying, Social-Emotional Learning and School-Based Interventions

Coming Soon

Expert on Climate Change and Belonging

Coming Soon

Expert on Neuroplasticity and non-violence

25,000

sTUDENT PARTICIPANTS

Reaching over 25,000 students with prevention education directly.

350

TRAINED EDUCATORS

Trained over 350 educators on the curriculum who continue to use the curriculum with their students.

90,000

wORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS

Nearly 90,000 educators/parents/schools admin/law enforcement/direct service providers reached with trainings and workshops

about us

Understanding the path to violence is key to preventing it.

wATCH HOW THESE BUILDING BLOCKS ARE IMPACTING OTHER FORMS OF VIOLENCE

01

Belonging & Resilience

Disconnection and lack of community increase the risk of outcomes such as impulsive or self-harming behavior for kids especially while experiencing distress.

02

Emotional Health & Wellness

Promoting skills for emotional health and personal wellbeing  mitigates negative brain development outcomes from childhood adversity and trauma, and is even more impactful the earlier you start with children.

03

Violence Prevention

Nest's deep expertise and evidence from our work in sexual exploitation and abuse show that victims of sexual violence are frequently victims of other forms of harm. And all of these harms have common root causes.

This program has great potential to impact society and empower our younger generations to feel like they have a voice in improving conditions for many people.

Jill DiCuffa
ANN RICHARDS SCHOOL, tEXAS

We are transforming violence prevention in schools by provide holistic prevention education and tailored tools for institutional change.

We are transforming violence prevention in schools by provide holistic prevention education and tailored tools for institutional change.

mAKE AN IMPACT

Give to Nest and be part of a paradigm shift in violence prevention education.

donate

our workshops

Strengthening
support systems

Nest designs and delivers workshops, presentations, and events for all members of schools and the wider community. These customized workshops are for everyone because we all have a role to play in preventing abuse and exploitation. All sessions can be facilitated in a virtual, hybrid, or in-person setting.

View All Workshops

Sexual Exploitation in Schools: Peer to Peer Abuse

Interpersonal Violence Prevention

Processing Grief & Loss

Mental Health & School Community Wellness

Pornography & It’s Impact on Youth

Shame & Guilt

upcoming events

join us!

We currently have no upcoming Events or Workshops.
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program highlights

take a tour

Revolutionizing Victim Assistance for school admins

VICTIM ASSISTANCE & RESPONSE

Facilitating conversations between students, lawmakers and their communities

STUDENT FORUMS

Encouraging students’ voices and creativity

CAPSTONE PROJECTS

Engaging young people to inform our materials and incorporate their interests in Nest’s work

Nest Youth Advisory Board

Media Content is an integral part of our programs and is used to enhance student engagement.

original media

Expanding violence education beyond just students and reaching their at home support systems

parent workshops

Revolutionizing Victim Assistance for school admins

VICTIM ASSISTANCE & RESPONSE

Facilitating conversations between students, lawmakers and their communities

STUDENT FORUMS

Encouraging students’ voices and creativity

CAPSTONE PROJECTS

Engaging young people to inform our materials and incorporate their interests in Nest’s work

Nest Youth Advisory Board

Media Content is an integral part of our programs and is used to enhance student engagement.

original media

Expanding violence education beyond just students and reaching their at home support systems

parent workshops
watch the trailer

our History

Since 2004, Nest has been on the front lines of preventing violence against children. We started with the issue of sexual exploitation.

Nest’s Documentary Film
PLAYGROUND: The Child Sex Trade in America
‍
Executive produced by Abby Disney, George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Steven Soderbergh, Lauren Embry and Arden Wohl. Animation by Japanese pop artist Yoshitomo Nara.

PLAYGROUND illuminates a sinister industry of the unrecognized pervasiveness of child exploitation. A comprehensive revelation of an unknown epidemic, PLAYGROUND has been called essential viewing for any parent or engaged citizen.

View Playground

nEST NEWSLETTER

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