The Nest Program for Healthy Childhoods draws on evidence-based practice and literatures across education (e.g., Freire, 1968), clinical psychology (e.g., Dialectical Behavior Therapy; Linehan, 1993), counseling psychology (Ali & Sichel, 2014), and community psychology (e.g., Watts, Williams & Jagers, 2003; Watts, Griffith, & Abdul-Adil, 1999). In doing so, the Program provides opportunities for teachers and students to engage in didactic activities that:
• Build community
• Foster critical thinking
• Support students in cultivating healthy relationships
• Promote safety by helping students effectively recognize and respond to risky contexts
• Support social action and pro-social behavior
Researchers in psychology, sociology, and related disciplines have demonstrated the effectiveness of using sociopolitical awareness to promote social engagement and well-being in populations including urban adolescents and survivors of domestic abuse (Chronister & McWhirter, 2006; Watts, Griffith, & Abdul-Adil, 1999).
Evidence suggests that promoting students’ sociopolitical development can protect them from the negative mental health outcomes such as psychological symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression) and low self-esteem (Zimmerman, Ramirez-Valles, & Maton, 1999).
Additionally, recent research has shown that engaging young people in discussions about oppression, privilege, and pop culture through a structured intervention increased students’ propensity for prosocial behavior and resilience (Sichel, Javdani, Ueberall, & Leggitt, 2017).