Rainbow Days

The Organization works with children and youth who have experienced adversity and breaks cycles of substance use disorders, homelessness and poverty by creating supportive communities through educational support groups, positive alternative activities and by training other professionals and volunteers in the CBSG model. Children learn and practice healthy self-management, relationship, and decision-making skills with positive adult role models. By being better equipped with healthy coping skills and personal resilience, they can rise above lifes challenges to create positive futures. The Organizations Curriculum-Based Support Groups (CBSG) program increases protective factors: high-expectation messages, safe and positive environments, caring relationships, a sense of belonging as well as increasing an individuals resiliency. Participants in the CBSG program learn to listen and communicate effectively, manage emotions, practice self-control, adapt to change, choose friends wisely, make healthy choices, resist negative peer pressure and practice teamwork. The CBSG program has been recognized by national registries as an effective prevention program and is proven to: prevent and reduce substance use disorders, prevent delinquency and violence, increase commitment to making healthy choices, including staying in school and staying drug-, crime- and violence-free. Additional activities and services include: prevention presentations, individual screening, referral and counseling services, summer camps, family outings, and holiday events. More than 9,000 children and youth participate in one or more of these activities each year. The Organization works with over 60 schools, shelters and community organizations in order to reach the children served. Through Rainbow Days Training, the Organization expands its scope and impact by training over 600 youth-serving professionals each year throughout Texas and the United States in the CBSG Program in a variety of topics related to prevention and professional development. Since its founding, the Organization has served more than 250,000 local children and trained more than 61,000 professionals and volunteers throughout the United States in how to implement a support group or other prevention programs/topics.