Project Venture
Website
Program Description
Project Venture is a classroom-based and outdoor experiential learning program that focuses on at-risk Indigenous youth between fifth and eighth grade, aiming to prevent substance use and decrease depression, anxiety, and anger. Participants are engaged to build resilience, which can be transferred to drug resistance and other prevention and development outcomes. Through outdoor activities (e.g., hiking, survival skill training), Project Venture fosters connections to nature and ancestral wisdom while enhancing self-esteem and problem-solving skills and focusing on community service.
Prevention Category
Practice Level
Strategies
Practice Components
Risk and Protective Factors
Population Age
Populations of Focus
Settings
Parental/Caregiver Involvement
Substance Use Prevention Focus
Recommended Staffing
Empirical Evidence of Impact
| Substance | Substance-Related Behavior | Population Age | Evidence Strength and Study Populations of Focus |
| Alcohol | Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation | Middle School | Moderate (American Indian or Alaska Native)1-2 |
| Substance use (General) | Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation | Middle School | Moderate (American Indian or Alaska Native)1-2 |
| References
1 Carter, S., Straits, K. J. E., & Hall, M. (2007). Project Venture: Evaluation of an Experiential, Culturally Based Approach to Substance Abuse Prevention with American Indian Youth. Journal of Experiential Education, 29(3), 397-400. https://doi.org/10.1177/105382590702900315 2 Carter, S.L., Straits, J.E., and Hall, M. (2007). Project Venture: Evaluation of a positive, culture-based approach to substance abuse prevention with American Indian youth. Technical Report. The National Indian Youth Leadership Project. Gallup, NM. www.niylp.org |
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Training and Technical Assistance
The training protocol consists of workshops, check-ins, and yearly conference attendance. The process includes a three-day Introduction to Project Venture workshop and a four-day Project Venture Facilitator workshop. Staff also provide technical assistance and ensure program fidelity. Remote training and technical support are available on a monthly basis.
Adaptations
Project Venture has been adapted, replicated, and implemented in hundreds of Indigenous communities across 25 states and eight Canadian provinces, as well as Hungary and Jamaica. The training program is designed to enable facilitators to adapt the model to their communities' specific needs and traditions.
Program Costs
Please visit the developer’s website listed above for updated information about implementation costs.
What California Providers Are Saying
We have not yet spoken to any California providers who have experience implementing Project Venture. If you have implemented it, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us.
Labels
Universal,
Selective,
Individual,
Community/Society, community society, community, society,
Education,
Alternatives,
Community-based processes, community based processes, community/based processes,
Civic Responsibility,
Connection to More Services,
Cultural/Religious Focus,
Pro-Social Connections and Activities (prosocial adults, peers, organizations),
Self-efficacy/self-esteem enhancement,
Skills Training,
Peer Norm Development,
Peer Led Approaches,
Community-based Processes,
Early and persistent antisocial behavior,
Early initiation of substance use,
Favorable attitudes towards substance abuse,
Poor coping skills and behaviors,
Ability to adapt to change and the belief in one’s ability to control what happens,
High self-esteem,
Personal engagement in two or more of the following: school, peers, athletics, employment, religion/spirituality, culture,
Positive social orientation (e.g. engaging in health activities, accepting of rules and community values, positive social engagement),
Positive temperament,
Strong coping skills (e.g. problem-solving skills, ability to stand up for beliefs and values),
Accessibility of substances,
Academic failure,
Lack of plans or ambitions for the future,
Low commitment to school,
Norms favorable towards substance use,
Substance use among peers,
Community norms, beliefs, and standards against substance use,
Opportunities for prosocial engagement in the school and community,
Opportunities for the development of skills and interests,
Presence of mentors and healthy adults for positive emotional support,
Positive social norms,
Schools and student bodies with strong academic commitment,
Age 6-12, Ages 6-12,
Age 13-17, Ages 13-17,
American Indian/Alaska Native, American Indian Alaska Native, American Indian, Alaska Native,
No parent/caregiver involvement,
Substance Use - General, substance use-general, substance use general, general substance use,
School (K-12), k-12,
Community-based program, community based program,
Broader Community/Society, broader community society,
Other,
Prevention Staff,
Teachers/Educators, teachers educators,