"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead
At Center for Human Development, we believe that the most powerful force for personal and societal change is the small community. When everyone in a small group feels included, valued, supported and unified around a common goal, lives are changed and then communities can be transformed.
Tribes is a highly interactive group process that accelerates learning, problem-solving, decision-making and consensus-building through positive peer cooperation and collaboration.
Tribes was developed by the Center for Human Development in 1973 and is the foundation of all our prevention programs for children, teens and adults.
Tribes creates a safe environment for more effective learning of any curricula, from drug abuse prevention to family health and wellness. Small support groups meet regularly within a large group. A series of activities is intentionally designed to foster success and support within any group, be it a school class, community board or business.
Thousands of people in the Bay Area have benefited from Tribes-based programs.
A teacher who participated in our Tribes training says it best:
"As an educator, I've worked with both Tribes and non-Tribes classrooms. The difference is palpable. Tribes students simply function better. As individuals, they have fewer conflicts with their classmates. In small groups, they work more productively. And as a class, they are more attentive listeners when the teacher gives directions."
Learn about Tribes training for students, teachers and organizations.