 | What is a NNED Community
of Practice (CoP)? NNED Communities of Practice (CoP) are professional development opportunities for NNED Members to receive training on a specific promising practice that can be implemented in diverse communities. Members will ‘meet’ regularly using virtual learning platforms to receive training, discuss common practice challenges and successes, and share information about strategies and resources. » Become a NNED Member free of charge » Learn About Past CoPs |
 | What are the benefits? - Learn about promising/evidence-based practice
- Develop cutting edge skills
- Implement a promising/evidence-based practice in your community
- Free support from experts
- Peer learning and support
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 | What are the expectations? - Engage in regular calls and training
- Use a virtual learning space for 6-8 months
- Have demonstrated knowledge and work experience
- with the population of focus
- Give feedback to inform the NNED’s work
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Learn About the Newest NNED Community of Practice:
Project Venture
The NNED and the National Indian Youth Leadership Project have partnered to offer 20 NNED Members training and continued coaching on Project Venture, an outdoors experiential youth development program designed for high-risk, middle school-aged American Indian youth.
About Project Venture
Project Venture was developed by the National Indian Youth Leadership Project (NIYLP), an American Indian-owned and -operated, community-based, nonprofit organization with nearly 20 years of experience in youth development. NIYLP has conducted summer youth leadership camps since 1986, from which grew the year-round Project Venture model.
Project Venture was selected by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs & Practices (NREPP) as the first Native American model program. For more information click here.
Project Venture aims to prevent substance use and related problems through:
- Classroom-based problem-solving and skill-building activities
- Outdoor adventure-based experiential activities
- Adventure camps and treks
- Community-oriented service learning
The program relies on American Indian traditional values to help youth develop positive self-concept, effective social skills, a community service ethic, internal locus of control, and increased decisionmaking and problem- solving skills
Project Venture typically consists of 20 to 30 hourly classroom sessions delivered over the course of a school year during which youth also engage in experiential games and initiatives facilitated by a Project Venture trained facilitator. Through these classroom-based sessions, a smaller number of youth are recruited and enrolled into the program’s community-based activities that include increasingly challenging outdoor activities such as team- and trust-building, hiking, bicycling, climbing, and rappelling. During these activities, delivered to groups of 7 to 15 youth per team, Project Venture trained facilitators work with youth to plan, implement, and debrief in specific ways that use the experiences as metaphors for life.
Key Steps & Dates
- August 31st - Introductory NNED Forum Call on Project Venture. Watch the recording.
- August 26-September 17 - Community of Practice Application opens. Apply today!
- September 17th - Deadline for Applications.
- September 28th - First CoP Training Session at 1:00-3:00pm ET.
- Training Sessions will take place every Tuesday from September 28-November 16.
- Monthly follow-up coaching sessions will take place from December - June every second Tuesday of the month from 1:00-3:00pm ET.
Questions
Please contact us if you have any additional questions.
For Project Venture Training Questions:
Beth Wonson
E: bwonson@niylp.org
NNED CoP Questions:
Rachele Espiritu, Ph.D., National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health
P: 281.990.8444
E: respiritu@changematrix.org
View Past NNED Communities of Practice