Español | International | Youth Voices | Newsroom | Store | Member Center
The trainings simplify complicated material so we feel more confident and educated.
The National Coalition Academy, a comprehensive training program developed by CADCA’s National Coalition Institute and offered without charge through a partnership with the National Guard Bureau at facilities in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Mississippi and Washington. Coalitions participating in the Academy learn about creating and maintaining partnerships, sustainability, cultural competence, assessment, prevention planning and implementation and evaluation.
Participation in the National Coalition Academy (NCA) is required for all Year 1 grantees. The NCA combines three weeks of classroom training plus distance learning and access to a web-based workstation. Here’s what you can expect during the face-to-face training.
Week 1: the development and use of environmental strategies. Each module is followed up with exercises on how to bring the knowledge home. During Week 1, DFC Grantees will be introduced to:
- The NCA’s framework
- NCA learning strategies
- Academy coursework
- Summary of the products your coalition will be creating
- Community assessment
- Problem analysis
- Logic models
Week 2: Builds on the work of Week 1, providing participants opportunities to understand the value of effective interventions, and how to achieve success. Similar to Week 1, participating coalitions will engage in hands-on exercises to learn how the knowledge gained during the NCA can be transferred at home. During Week 2, grantees are introduced to:
- Designing and selecting interventions
- Strategic and action planning and
- Coalition evaluation
Week 3: Provides grantees strategies on how to address coalition driving forces—policy/advocacy and sustainability. This week offers policy and advocacy basics and sustainability for coalitions. Participants also will learn the steps for creating a sustainability plan.


