Nest Foundation, Inc.

Nest is a national nonprofit working at the intersection of mental wellness, violence prevention, and education. Our mission is to stop harm before it starts by equipping young people, and the adults who support them, with the skills and tools they need to build safe, connected, and resilient lives. Through a suite of research-backed programs, we work to prevent child abuse, interpersonal violence, and exploitation by teaching empathy, healthy communication, emotional regulation, boundary setting, and conflict resolution. What sets Nest apart is our focus on primary prevention: stopping violence before it happens by addressing the conditions and behaviors that lead to harm. That includes n... read more Nest is a national nonprofit working at the intersection of mental wellness, violence prevention, and education. Our mission is to stop harm before it starts by equipping young people, and the adults who support them, with the skills and tools they need to build safe, connected, and resilient lives. Through a suite of research-backed programs, we work to prevent child abuse, interpersonal violence, and exploitation by teaching empathy, healthy communication, emotional regulation, boundary setting, and conflict resolution. What sets Nest apart is our focus on primary prevention: stopping violence before it happens by addressing the conditions and behaviors that lead to harm. That includes not just supporting those at risk of being victimized but actively preventing first-time perpetration. We educate all students on what healthy, respectful behavior looks like and provide the critical social-emotional tools needed to disrupt cycles of harm before they take root. Our programming reaches youth across multiple settings: from public schools and after-school programs to juvenile justice centers and faith-based communities. Our offerings include: - You Belong Here Curriculum: A comprehensive, K-12 violence prevention and mental wellness curriculum used in major school districts across the country. Aligned with state standards and evaluated by Columbia University, it addresses everything from emotional regulation and digital safety to bystander intervention and consent. - Educator & First Responder Trainings: We train school staff, counselors, and frontline professionals to recognize signs of abuse, respond to disclosures, and create trauma-informed environments where young people feel seen, heard, and supported. - Parent and Caregiver Education: We offer culturally responsive workshops and resources that help families support youth mental wellness, foster open communication, and navigate online and offline risks together. - Victim Assistance & Response (VAR) Program: We're building a student-facing reporting tool and educator dashboard to streamline reporting, increase accountability, and reduce harm in school settings. - Workforce Readiness & Soft Skills Training: Our "New Power Skills Playbook" prepares students in career and technical education programs with the relational and emotional intelligence skills employers say they need most: skills like adaptability, teamwork, and conflict resolution. - Blueprint for Connection: In collaboration with Dr. Niobe Way and The Listening Project, we're developing workshops that strengthen belonging and perspective-taking, key protective factors that reduce violence and polarization. In a world marked by disconnection, polarization, and rising rates of violence, we believe the most powerful form of prevention is connection. Research shows that young people who feel a sense of belonging and safety are less likely to experience or perpetrate violence. They are more likely to reach out for help, to intervene on behalf of others, and to form healthy relationships with themselves and their communities. By reaching entire school and community ecosystems, not just those at "high risk", we shift the burden away from victims and create cultures where harm is less likely to occur in the first place. Because to prevent violence, we must also prevent the behaviors that lead to it. Our Impact - Over 3.5 million youth reached nationwide - More than 100,000 educators and professionals trained - Programming active in districts including Los Angeles Unified, Portland Public Schools, Dallas ISD, Boston Public Schools, and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD - Speaker Series and workshops reaching thousands of educators, parents, and clinicians per year with expert-led discussions on topics like grief, digital safety, and early childhood trauma - Curricula reviewed and informed by experts in neuroscience, psychology, child development, and education At Nest, we're building a world where prevention is possible, healing is supported, and every young person grows up feeling that they belong.