Courses
Curriculum Overview
Reclaiming Youth at Risk offers a broad and balanced curriculum for all areas of youth work. Rooted in the latest research and decades of practical experience, our courses have become the gold standard for resilience-based organizations worldwide.
Planning Restorative Outcomes
Also known as "PRO Assessment," this course reframes problems as opportunities for learning with children and youth at risk.
Moccasin Paths and Other Trails
This course draws together Indigenous knowledge and contemporary research to build strengths in Native American and First Nations youth, families, schools, and communities.
The Art of Kid Whispering
Problem behaviors are often the focus of intervention instead of recognizing that these are expressions of inner pain and distress. This training discovers the private logic and goals of the inside kid.
The Three Pillars of Transforming Care
Not another trauma training for therapists, this training addresses those working directly with traumatized youngsters in foster care, residential care, schools, youth justice workers, and the family.
Reclaiming Youth at Risk
Training grounded in Circle of Courage principles researched and refined across three editions of Reclaiming Youth at Risk. This book launched a global movement, sparking scores of other publications that built on this reclaiming tradition.
Respectful Alliances: RAP and PPC
This Circle of Courage course consists of two separate two-day trainings. Response Ability Pathways (RAP) is for all who work with youth. Positive Peer Culture (PPC) offers another level of training for clinicians, group leaders, supervisors, senior youth workers, and educators.
Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future
At Reclaiming Youth at Risk, our mission is to provide research, training, and consultation aimed at fostering strength in children, families, schools, and communities. By drawing on the rich traditions of American Indian cultures, which have successfully nurtured respectful and courageous young people without punitive measures, we offer a holistic approach to support youth who are facing challenges. Our work is dedicated to instilling courage and resilience in both the young individuals we serve and the professionals who work with them.
Founded by Larry Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, and Steve van Bockern, Reclaiming Youth at Risk embraces time-honored wisdom combined with modern research to address the needs of at-risk youth. Our strategies are grounded in the belief that all children have the potential to succeed and thrive when their environment supports their developmental needs in terms of belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. We are committed to transforming the lives of young individuals by creating caring communities where every child can achieve their fullest potential.
Empowering youth and communities to thrive through respect, connection, and resilience.
Our Success at a Glance
Mission Statement
The mission of Reclaiming Youth at Risk is to provide research, training, and consultation to build strengths in children, families, schools, and communities. For thousands of years, American Indian cultures nourished respectful and courageous children without employing punitive discipline. Drawing from these little-understood resources, we provide a holistic approach to reclaiming youth at risk. Courage for the discouraged — for youth and for professionals as well!
Our Core Values
Our core values are grounded in the Circle of Courage philosophy, emphasizing belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity as essential to holistic development.
Our Philosophy
At Reclaiming Youth at Risk, we believe that every child has the innate capacity for positive growth. Our philosophy is rooted in the principles of the Circle of Courage, which asserts that the fulfillment of universal growth needs — belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity — is crucial for the development of all young people. By integrating these values with the latest in psychological research and practical application, we strive to create environments that promote resilience and thriving, not just for youth but for the communities that support them.