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about us

Our mission

A cultural paradigm shift in violence prevention & mental wellness

To transform violence prevention education through programs that address the interconnected nature of all forms of harm while fostering human connection and mental wellness.

Our SOLUTION

Building Students Up

Multidisciplinary research and expertise tell us that individuals who exhibit higher levels of Emotional Agility, Accountability, Empathy, and Gratitude will do less harm to themselves and to others. Our methodology nurtures tangible skills in students that help lead to greater outcomes of these four pillars. These are the pillars on which significance and belonging will flourish and healthy relationships form.

Love and belonging are irreducible needs for all people.

In the absence of these experiences, there is always suffering.

Brené Brown

our approach

The Power Of The Nest Approach

Our four-pronged approach seamlessly integrates cutting-edge research and proven best practices from various disciplines to effectively prevent both perpetration and victimization. Nest's innovative methods transcend traditional violence prevention curricula by seamlessly incorporating essential skill-building components like bystander intervention, apology, accountability, and navigating resolution, thus offering a comprehensive and transformative solution to the intricate and systemic problem of violence.

01

Culture Change

Reimagining Violence prevention

What if we had a culture of connected humans, who felt invested in building compassionate communities?

At the core of our work is Belonging. Feeling a sense of significance ties directly to enacting less harm.

02

Victim-Centered

Reinventing Victim Response

We know that a victim-centered approach means leading with compassion–instead of enacting further trauma. We want survivors of harm to be empowered to make the choices that are right for them.

03

Emotionally Agile Kids

Removing Shame and Stigma

Our curricula educate with a strengths-based approach. Rather than scaring students or telling them what not to do, we lead with the knowledge that’s already in the room. Research shows that helping children develop emotional health and wellbeing skills protects them from both violence and its negative effects. These skills can help the brain develop agility, even when facing trauma and adversity.

04

Accountable Systems

Restorative and Transformative Justice

Using research-proven methods, we work to expand our culture’s understanding of harm's impact on individuals and communities. We do this by: Providing resources to communities and stakeholders
Strengthening support systems
Increasing Protective Factors

OUR OFFERINGS

Scalable & Comprehensive

We use scalable solutions that can adapt to the diverse requirements of various stakeholders. To fulfill this demand, we have developed a comprehensive toolkit specifically designed to assist policy-makers, law enforcement authorities, school districts, and communities.

Team & boards

Passionate People Can Make A Difference

Since 2004, Nest has been on the front lines of addressing the vulnerabilities that expose young people to harm & exploitation. In 2009, Nest premiered Playground, the first feature-length film about child sex trafficking in America, produced by Abigail Disney & George Clooney. The film was central to changing federal legislation that had previously treated trafficked children as criminals rather than victims. This was the genesis of Nest's transformative approach.

community partners

The conventional view of emotions as good or bad, positive or negative, is rigid. And rigidity in the face of complexity is toxic.

We need greater levels of emotional agility for true resilience and thriving.

susan david

our story

how we got here

Our commitment to implementing evidence-informed solutions is apparent not just in our current endeavors but also in our evolutionary journey over the years. We have continuously adapted and improved our approach to more effectively achieve our ultimate objective of eradicating violence.

Documentary Film: Playground

In 2009, we premiered Playground, the first feature-length film about child sex trafficking in America, produced by Abigail Disney, George Clooney, Steven Soderbergh, Arden Wohl, Matt & Tracy Smith, and Lauren Embrey.

Sex Trafficking & Healthy Relationship Education

In 2014, building off of what we learned in filming Playground, we wrote a curriculum to prevent sexual violence through teaching students about healthy relationships and sex trafficking.

Curricula 2.0

Through ongoing research and the involvement of an expanded board of expert advisors, we delved deep into the issue of not just sexual violence, but all forms of violence. As we explored further, it became clear that the root causes of different types of harm overlap, inspiring us to create the first curricula that tackle the interconnectedness of all forms of violence.

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