Current Work

Transformational Learning 

National Compadres Network has introduced Transformational Learning (TL) to the Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD). Transformational Learning is based on “La Cultura Cura” (LCC) (Transformational Health & Healing) philosophy. TL invites administrators and educators into a healing-centered, culturally rooted, justice-oriented teaching and learning experience. TL examines a school district’s approach, ideology, and pedagogy to teaching and instruction and identifies areas for improvement while developing strategic steps toward a more equitable and supportive school system through ongoing technical assistance. 

Coachella Valley Unified School District 

CVUSD has made commendable strides in creating a positive and supportive school climate through its collaboration with NCN. The district has prioritized the philosophy of "La Cultura Cura", an approach that emphasizes culturally appropriate, trauma-informed, and healing-centered practices to ensure the well-being of students, staff, and parents. 

The district-wide trainings provided by NCN to all 22 schools and their certificated and classified staff demonstrates a commitment to fostering a healthy and inclusive learning environment. By introducing the LCC philosophy, educators and school personnel are better equipped to understand and address the diverse needs of their students, especially those who may have experienced trauma or face cultural challenges. 

Impact of NCN on CVUSD: The various trainings offered by the National Compadres Network are instrumental in supporting students and their families while creating a positive school climate that embraces cultural strengths. These trainings empower educators to be more culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and equipped to address the diverse needs of their students. By fostering a nurturing and inclusive learning environment, the school district maximizes the potential of all students and creates a sense of belonging that encourages academic success and personal growth. 

We believe that all children are a blessing, have a sacred purpose, bring with them cultural values, and deserve a space to grow, learn, share, heal, and support each other.

Healing Generations

W.K Kellogg Foundation

The goal of the project is to improve positive outcomes of children of color that leads to their success in life. The Project involves the development of a national advisory group of elders to represent and guide local, regional, ethnic and social concerns; the expansion of a national cadre of experts on issues of boys and men of color; and the provision of technical assistance nationally to support organizations and systems involved in the lives of BMOC. NCN’s Healing Generations Project, the primary approach in this grant, represents NCN’s multi-racial and community healing strategies that addresses persistent community strife and concerns through culturally responsive interventions; and amplifies the intervention to promote familial, community healing through retreats, healing centered gatherings and the incorporation of indigenous culturally based practices.

NCN has developed a national network of experts, wisdom keepers and elders competent in integrating culturally based traditions and values, conducted national webinars highlighting NCN’s LCC framework and culture-based evaluation philosophy and approach, supported the continued development of the Comadres Network and corresponding second annual women’s retreat (Retiro de Mujeres) and provided training and technical assistance to communities in San Antonio, Denver, Baltimore and ten cities across California. As a result of NCN and local supporters, these cities have successfully integrated the La Cultura Cura (LCC) philosophy into their overall community transformation strategy.

NCN has also developed a series of evidenced based and community evidenced curricula, training modules, and resource materials based on trauma informed and healing centered practice and observed the manner in which communities across that nation have taken ownership of these efforts and sustained them beyond the horizon of the funding that initiated these efforts. NCN has continued to provide training on various curricula including La Cultura Cura, Joven Noble, Cara y Corazon, Xinachtli and Circle Keeper to schools and school districts, county probation departments, juvenile courts, universities, law enforcement agencies and numerous other community-based organizations across the nation as well as provide capacity building technical assistance designed to move agencies and communities toward health. To further connect training participants with each other and facilitate their collective learning, NCN continued a monthly technical assistance webinar for those trained by NCN and developed a La Cultural Cura Network, a nationwide cadre of trained participants. Lastly, NCN entered into a partnership with Sergio Morales, LGBTQ consultant, to exchange organizational approaches and philosophies in the hopes to learn from each other and grow toward building a better alliance.

To promote and facilitate programmatic, systemic and institutional policy transformation, NCN remained engaged with local, state and national officials to support and advance legislation supportive of men and boys of color, their families and communities. In addition, NCN has become a significant influence on the juvenile justice field and racial and ethnic disparities reduction efforts through our recent National Girls Initiative and our long-standing transformational justice approach.

Racial Healing Practitioners’ Network

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The Racial Healing Practitioner’s Network (RHP) is a network of Healing Practitioners that are working towards national racial equity and racial healing through mentorship, training, and support of local community healing practitioners. NCN, in partnership with the Solidarity Healing Leadership Team (Wisdom Keepers), RHP Fellows, and national partners, established the RHP Network by identifying healing practitioners, locally and regionally. The RHP Network is also working towards developing a repository of resources and directories to support Healing Practitioners nationwide.

To see more about the RHP Network, click HERE. 

To get connected or to receive more information about the Racial Healing Practitioner’s Network, please complete the RHP Network survey.

Ameyalli Health, Healing, Leadership for Women and Girls

Ameyalli is a Nahual word meaning, Natural Spring Water. The Women and Girls Health, Healing and Leadership support services provide intergenerational safe spaces and opportunities where culturally based ancestral wisdom can be shared. Through healing informed traditions addressing historical trauma, inequity and injustices, Ameyalli, focuses on acknowledging and validating the sacred wisdom of womanhood as the basis for women’s health and the fulfillment of one’s sacred purpose. It furthermore promotes the development and support for girls and women identified leadership to challenge and counter arrest systematic inequities within communities of color and society in general. For more information about Ameyalli, please call or email Christian Jaimes.

Young Women’s Warrior Project Community Program

The Young Women’s Warrior Project seeks to enhance the character and leadership qualities of all female and femme-identifying youth under 25 years old that enter the justice system to serve as teachers and guides for other young women in their community. The curriculum is based on NCN’s Girasol curriculum (above). For more information about the Young Women’s Warrior Project, please call or email Xitlali Jimenez.

Racial Healing

Center on Community Philanthropy at the University of Arkansas 

NCN is engaged in collaborative work with the Center on Community Philanthropy at the University of Arkansas through support from the WK Kellogg Foundation. The effort includes co-designing a racial healing certification program targeting national leaders (c-suite). Launched in August 2021, it is the first designed to provide specialized training, education, and unique experiences that promote skills development and competencies in the area of racial healing. Participants go through a multi-phased experience with the “strengthening their leadership through a racial healing” component developed by the NCN.

PREVIOUS PROJECTS

Comadres Project

The project explored and addressed improving community health through healing and inclusion of women. The grant facilitated the development of an advisory group that further developed an initiative to improve the health and well-being of Latinas by coordinating convenings and trainings to support the initiative.

Merced County Probation

NCN provided support and technical assistance in the planning development of Merced County Probation Department’s Juvenile Division (MCPD—JD) Strengthening Families Juvenile Behavior Health Court.

Program Support Health and Wellness

The California Endowment

Provided nine Building Healthy Communities (BHC) sites training and technical assistance on La Cultura Cura Curriculum healing support circles and exposed them to training including La Cultura Cura (LCC) base trainings and base trainings in Cara Y Corazon, Xinachtli, and Joven Noble. BHC sites included Richmond, East Oakland, Santa Ana, S. Sacramento, Long Beach, S. Kern, Merced, Eastern Coachella, and Fresno.

Sacramento County Probation

Addressed youth trauma and social-emotional health by supporting community-based healing circles and other health-promoting services for youth who come into contact with the Sacramento County Probation Department in juvenile hall and schools.

Sacramento City Unified School District

Trained staff in the Sacramento City Unified School District in culturally based, trauma-informed practices shown to improve student health and academic outcomes.

Por Vida Academy (San Antonio, Texas)

Provided La Cultura Cura philosophy overview and Xinachtli training to Por Vida Academy Charter District (one of the original charter districts in the state of Texas with three campuses in San Antonio, Corpis Christi and Cesar Chavez) to build the organizational capacity of Por Vida Academy Charter District to implement culturally responsive programming in order to achieve positive educational outcomes for youth that will ultimately support the family.

Fresno Unified School District

Cal State Fresno Foundation

Provided training and technical assistance to implement healing informed La Cultura Cura service models and provide technical assistance in the process of implementing the services.

California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions

Developed and conducted a webinar on concrete strategies for presenting and building the evidence of effectiveness for community defined practices, as well as conducted a training on concrete strategies for presenting and building the evidence of effectiveness for community defined practices. Provided consultation to agencies requesting additional assistance presenting and building their evidence.