Our Projects

The HEARTS Professional Learning Institute builds the capacity of school staff across the country to implement HEARTS principles and approaches for creating trauma-informed, safe, supportive, and equitable learning and teaching environments that foster resilience, wellness, and racial justice for everyone in the school community.

In partnership with the American Psychological Association (APA) and an iPsyNet (international psychology network for LGBTI issues) core team, ETR led a process to design a skill-building training titled Increasing Active Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Intersex People (LGBTQI) and Building Personal Resiliency: A Workshop for Human Rights Activists. The target population for the learning process includes 1) psychologists and other similar professionals and 2) human rights workers/LGBTQI community activists.

Considering input and data shared by the core team from their respective sites (South Africa, the Philippines, and the U.S), and using ETR's Design for Learning process, the team created a comprehensive, interactive, one-day training design to support activists in assessing strategies for supporting LGBTQI people and in building resiliency for the activist. The one-day training includes the following components: 1) identifying strategies for supporting LGBTI people; 2) assessing and refining strategies; 3) planning for action; and 4) strategies for activist self-care and resiliency. Training materials include a detailed training design, participant handouts, and a facilitator's guide.

ETR coordinated and developed capacity-building services for 27 CDC-funded non-government organizations (NGOs) serving a range of constituents, including juvenile justice providers, service providers to runaway/homeless youth, and state and local education agencies. In collaboration with DASH staff, ETR developed and conducted a comprehensive needs assessment process to inform an annual calendar of CBA events, in the form of multi- and single-day trainings, roundtable discussions, webinars and workshops addressing both content and functions.

ETR, in partnership with CDC-DASH, spearheaded the first national “Programs that Work” initiative, which built the capacity of state and local education agencies (SEAs and LEAs) to disseminate and institutionalize HIV/STD evidence-based interventions (EBIs) and other health education programs. This work included training and technical assistance on EBI selection and implementation, as well as policy and environmental elements necessary for adoption and institutionalization, including gaining stakeholder buy-in and developing infrastructure needed for effective implementation and sustainability. This program reached all 77 funded SEAs and LEAs and provided training to over 250 school districts nationwide.

ETR provided national capacity-building assistance for staff in alternative schools, homeless youth organizations and juvenile justice to implement evidence-based and evidence-informed HIV/STD prevention and sexual health promotion practices and policies. The project worked at the policy level by assisting sites in educating stakeholders and providing training to staff who work directly with youth, and also facilitated linkages between youth and sexual health services, particularly youth-friendly HIV/STD testing. The project reached nearly 20,000 high-risk youth in hundreds of juvenile justice facilities and alternative schools from 25 states, and trained staff from 106 agencies who then conducted training events for community stakeholders.

ETR built and managed the Capacity Building Resource Center (CRC), an online resource designed to facilitate communication and collaboration between the CDC-funded Capacity Building Assistance (CBA) providers and CDC’s Capacity Building Branch (CBB) key staff, with the goal of improving the delivery and effectiveness of HIV prevention services provided to the nation’s workforce who serve populations at risk for HIV. The interactive, password-protected website allowed CBA Providers access to timely CDC news alerts and documents related to public health and included a resource library, webinars, CBA provider directory and e-learning courses. Center staff coordinated and archived monthly CBA Network calls; ensured quality of materials through review, assessment and approval by CDC; and completed a yearly assessment of current and future TA needs for CRC services.

The CEH (Communities Energized for Health) project addresses exposure to secondhand smoke where Californians live, work, and play. Objective 1, the primary objective of this project: The Yolo County Public Housing Authority Commission with jurisdiction over public housing in the cities of Esparto, West Sacramento, Winters, Woodland, Knights Landing, and unincorporated Yolo County (all serving a predominantly low socio-economic populations) will adopt and implement legislated policies designating all indoor and outdoor common areas and 100% of individual units (including balconies and patios) in multi-unit housing (MUH) complexes, as entirely smoke-free, with the option of including designated smoking areas at least 25 feet from any entrance or windows.

ETR’s Community Impact Solutions Project (CISP) works to strengthen the capacity of the HIV workforce to plan, implement, and sustain community high-impact HIV prevention interventions and strategies. We support prevention with HIV positive individuals, high-risk negative individuals, and Organizational Development and Management to community-based organizations. CISP applies a blended learning approach driven by the Adult Learning Theory to ensure all CBA is effectively addressed in this way.

In this Phase I SBIR project, dfusion with its research partner, Education Training and Research (ETR), will establish the technical merit and feasibility of producing and using a “blended” learning version of Reducing the Risk: Building Skills to Prevent Pregnancy, STD and HIV (RTR) for 14-18 year olds. A modernized delivery model will be used that capitalizes on recent trends, such as blended learning and technological advances to enhance students’ motivation and perceived relevancy, yielding stronger and more lasting impact. The Blended RTR prototype will use a flipped classroom approach and include traditional RTR classroom-based activities and new transposed online activities (InstaRTR activities) to be completed by youth as online assignments, outside of the classroom.

In partnership with RTI, ETR provided training, technical assistance and annual meeting planning services to support the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) grantees. ETR was a lead technical advisor to over 100 state and tribal agencies and community-based organizations funded by FYSB to educate young people toward preventing pregnancy and STD via implementation of evidence-based sexual education programs. Staff designed and delivered both online and in-person trainings and technical assistance to increase knowledge and skills to implement and sustain PREP.

MCAH funds local Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Programs throughout the state to utilize a variety of approaches and strategies to reduce rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, assist adolescents in accessing clinical services, and influence programming with the intent of improving the sexual and reproductive health and well-being of California’s adolescents. The programs are categorized as I&E (Information and Evaluation) and PREP (Personal Responsibility Education Program).

The NSRT project consolidated work funded by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service to assist the expanding work of AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, VISTA, and Learn and Serve America programs that support the millions of volunteers of all ages working in thousands of organizations and educational settings across the country. Project staff managed and developed the services provided by ETR’s long-standing projects, including the VISTA Campus and Online Learning Center. 

Based on analysis of a formative evaluation, ETR training design specialists used ETR's science-based Design for Learning process to update and refine the American Psychological Association Respect Workshop: Preventing Health Risks and Promoting Healthy Outcomes among LGBTQ Students. The workshop was developed for pre-service and in-service professional development targeting middle and high school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists and school social workers. The goal of the workshop is to enable school-based specialized support professionals to provide direct services and promote practices that encourage sexual health and responsibility among LGBTQ students. The learning process includes pre-work communications, a one-day training, and follow-up support guidance. Content for the learning process includes 1) foundational knowledge (terminology, addressing micro-aggressions), 2) data review (current data that support the need for supporting LGBTQ youth); 3) specific guidance for direct services that support LGBTQ youth; 4) skill practice; 5) promoting a protective school climate; and 6) taking action. Core elements used to guide the development of the training include the Theory of Planned Behavior, best practices for specialized support professionals, current empirical data and research findings related to LGBTQ youth, and science-based instructional design (ETR's Design for Learning process). The workshop was developed in consultation with representatives of the targeted professions, public health officials, and organizations with specialized expertise in addressing the needs of LGBTQ youth.

The West Contra Costa Unified School District funds ETR to provide consulting, training, and evaluation services to the District’s Office of Educational Equity (OEE). The District is currently enhancing its capacity to eliminate, address, and prevent sexual and gender-based harassment. For this three year project, ETR is (1)providing expert consultation on improving district policies and procedures, (2) designing and implementing District-wide staff trainings, (3) evaluating the implementation of reforms and student outcomes, and (4) developing a unique online complaint management system.

As part of this project funded by the California Office of Maternal and Child Health, ETR developed the Continuous Program Improvement (CPI) Tool Kit, which provided a framework for TPP agencies to use a systematic process and standardized tools for assessing selected aspects of their programs, with the goal of identifying and making program improvements.