Training projects
Wildfire readiness
Playing without fire
Helping communities find direction and confidence to help themselves before they face the fire.
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Our mission
People who step up to help themselves and others often act even though they’re inexperienced, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward. We provide services to help them succeed.
LEARN MORE about our Leader support program →
Our motivation
We don’t want someone’s first crisis to be the Big One. We design immersive learning experiences that let people practice helping themselves and the people around them in a crisis. Then we teach community organizations to spread learning in their communities.
LEARN MORE about our Training program →
Your support
All of our work is grounded in proven research, systematic experimentation, and continual evaluation. We work with researchers to exchange ideas and methods across disciplines. If no one has the answers we need, or we need a dose of reality, we do our own research.
LEARN MORE about our Research program →
Current training projects
Neighborhood earthquake
Our flagship learning experience invites a group of neighbors to “get through” the weeks following a catastrophic earthquake. They solve challenges in their own homes, and around the neighborhood, with only the people and resources at hand.
LEARN MORE about the project →
Pandemic earthquake
In the midst of disaster, we continue to prepare for disaster. We have adapted our neighborhood earthquake to happen in the presence of COVID-19, and we conduct the simulation by videoconference. Participants face the same challenges, but the neighborhood is virtual.
READ ABOUT the virtual pilot →
Newsletters
From our blog
Moving from “Someone should do something” to “I can do something”
In tribute to my family in Minneapolis, we are sharing our "7 Tips for Being Effective in a Crisis." These insights come from our study of...
Misunderstandings, Mistakes and Grief
In this message of support for Life After Disaster, we offer a few recommendations for managing misunderstandings, mistakes and grief …
Spontaneous leader helping Turkish earthquake survivors: Go Mesut!
Here is what Mesut Bilgili had to say about his efforts to help earthquake survivors (and the benefits of getting a little encouragement from us).
Our most pressing needs
Fundraising Strategist
Volunteer
Help us develop and implement our first strategic fundraising plan so we can grow and create a resilient world.
Details
START
As soon as possible
DURATION
3-6 months
DESCRIPTION
We need someone with fundraising and strategic planning experience to get us started and put us on a solid footing. For our Wildfire Project and other efforts we are looking for funding from a wide variety of sources, including foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations.
Grant Writer
Volunteer
Help us to find and apply for grants so we can turn a generous world into a resilient one.
Details
START
As soon as possible
DURATION
Occasional or ongoing
DESCRIPTION
We need to secure funding for the development and testing of our new wildfire training experience. We are aiming for grants in the $5K-$100K range, focusing on corporate and community-based funders with interests in community resilience and/or wildfire preparedness.
Communication Tools Analyst
Volunteer
Help us find the best communications tool to manage live training events.
Details
START
As soon as possible
DURATION
1-3 months
DESCRIPTION
We need a simple and easy-to-use communication platform that supports fun and engaging interaction between participants during training events. Can you help us research existing tools used in gaming, simulation and/or communication and determine if they can be adapted to meet our needs?
“I would have doubted me too.”
— Bilbo Baggins