We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their powers towards good ends.
-Mary McLeod Bethune
We believe in the “Golden Rule” of treating others the way you would like to be treated. Next Evolution Consulting has a strong commitment to quality, evidence-based education, and client-driven services. We value our clients and we appreciate the knowledge, experience, and talents they bring with them.
We offer a variety of services that help youth succeed in both their personal life but also in their anticipated professional life. We work with both juveniles and adults in evidence-based targeted education in order to help them achieve their goals while striving for their maximum potential in their life.
Life Skills Development offers a wide variety of topics all pertaining to necessary competencies, skillsets, and practices that are often omitted and consequently not taught within our current culture whether it is in schools, the home or out in society. Our program is customized, relatable and practical. Topics include (but not limited to) respect (self and others), study skills, personal development, leadership and employment readiness just to name a few things.
Our youth are trying to find their value and path for their life and unfortunately many are falling into the wrong groups leading them into troubled and sometimes dangerous situations with unfortunate consequences. We offer each individual a partnership creating a fully customized program taking into consideration each client's knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences (KSAE's) providing them with the skills to lead successful, crime-free and productive lives.
Expanding Futures Project
This is a group setting but each child is working 1-on-1 with a mentor. We utilize our evidence based life-skills curriculum with the activities that the youth are interested in.
Adding the small group component has added a collaborative edge to positive behaviors at school and at home.
A variety of programming approaches aimed at helping juvenile offenders develop into useful, law-abiding citizens have been developed. Unfortunately, these programs remain largely ineffectual, and recidivism continues to be unacceptably high (Josi & Sechrest, 1999). Researchers have suggested programs that teach youth life skills may be a critical component in reducing recidivism. These findings dovetail with Extension programming aimed at promoting youth development by enhancing life skills and suggest that Extension professionals may be positioned to provide delinquent youth with the skills they need to succeed and avoid recidivism.
When developing programs for youth, the important step of asking participants what they think provides critical but often overlooked information. In particular, youth in the juvenile justice system are rarely asked what they think would be effective approaches to helping them succeed once they are released from detention or complete the term of their parole. The purpose of the study reported here was to assess youth opinions of effective programming approaches for both inside and outside the detention system.
Youth who are incarcerated have a greater likelihood to become incarcerated adults. Communities have a responsibility to try and help youth not travel this path. Thus, programming that will help them succeed is critically needed and, as these results reveal, even desired by youth themselves. Extension systems, with their vast array of resources and professional staff, have a great opportunity to help curb this trend and help this high-risk audience reach their fullest potential.