Resources: Organizations

These organizations are listed as potential resources for additional information on the topics below. If you have any comments or questions about any of them, please contact the organization directly.

Rites of Passage

• School of Lost Borders. Founded over 30 years ago, this is the oldest school in the United States that trains individuals and groups to reintroduce wilderness-oriented rites of passage into modern culture. They also provide nature-based therapeutic experiences for individuals in life crisis and transition.

• LEAPNOW. Transforming Education. An organization that has created an innovative alternative freshman year of college that integrates multiple rites of passage-formal and informal. This organization also tailors gap-year programs for students, which function as a modern-day rite of passage.

• Northwaters and Langskib Wilderness Programs. An organization that has been offering outdoor adventure based educational trips from boys, girls and adults since 1971.

• Golden Bridge. is dedicated to supporting young people across the globe as they learn to interact in positive ways with their families, their peers, and their communities from a place of deep kinesthetic connection with themselves, with the Earth, and with all of life, seen and unseen.

Community Development

• Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) InstituteThe Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD) is at the center of a large and growing movement that considers local assets as the primary building blocks of sustainable community development. Building on the skills of local residents, the power of local associations, and the supportive functions of local institutions, asset-based community development draws upon existing community strengths to build stronger, more sustainable communities for the future.

• Community Building Resources. CBR assists community groups and organizations in creating and delivering fun and effective workshops and presentations on Community Capacity Building and Asset Mapping®.

• Connecticut Assets Network (CAN). CAN is a grassroots nonprofit network of citizens and organizations that promote the integration of successful use of asset-based strategies for community development.

Youth Development

• The Arts & After School Youth Development Resources. A listing of resources and programs focusing on using arts-related youth development programs.

• The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). An organization whose mission is to establish social and emotional learning as an essential part of education from preschool through high school.

• Search Institute. An independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide leadership, knowledge, and resources to promote healthy children, youth, and communities. Serves organizations, communities, educators, and families.