NEXT GEN Leaders’ Youth Empowerment Programs:

Ages

• Young adults and teens 14 – 20 years old are warmly welcome to Next Gen Leaders (some age exceptions can be made – just ask).
• Those 21 years and older may consider our adult confidence course, aka leadership presence course.
• Those 13 years and younger: We are currently developing this program; inquire.
• Combo Workshops of adults + teens/young adults: Exciting workshop combinations include (1) adult leaders from youth based organizations combined with teen/young adult staff members and (2) parents + their teen/young adult children. In these cases, all participants are equally active and practice the same tools.
• Observers are discouraged as this detracts from participants’ willingness to take risks practicing the tools. Therefore, adults may obtain a seat in a Combo Workshop and enjoy active participation.

Genders

• All genders and gender identifications are warmly welcome. Power for Everyone.
• Group Composition – Solo Gender or Mixed Gender Groups: You decide. Your groups can be mixed-gender or single-gender; both compositions have benefits. For example, a young men’s empowerment group comprised solely of those who identify as male can create solidarity and can be alliance building. However, offering participants who identify as male an opportunity to practice in front of other gender-identified people can provide real-world application practice.
• Allies: Inviting allies (people who don’t identify with the gender-identification of participants) is a powerful method for supporting people from traditionally-underrepresented groups within your organization.

View this FAQ about special needs and accommodations.

View all of our FAQs. If your question isn’t answered, feel feel to contact us.

The NEXT GEN Leaders’ workshop is available to pre-established groups only. If you’re looking for a single seat, see this FAQ.

The cost of the NEXT GEN Leaders workshop is dependent upon several variables. Contact us for a complimentary needs assessment; many organizations find this helpful. We’ll quickly assess your situation and provide you with pricing.

Onsite workshop costs can be lowered when your organization provides these at its own cost:

1. A simple training room + equipment: Nothing fancy is needed. Many companies, community centers, schools or faith organizations offer rooms for free or at low-cost. We need a room without fixed tables that is large enough (usually 1200 square feet or so), with an HDMI television (or LCD projector/screen), video recording and playback capability (we can describe this: an extra laptop with Zoom or an iPhone with a tripod; both with external microphone work well), plus 2 chairs per participant.
2. AV/IT support throughout the event.
3. Water/Snacks and (optional) catering: Simple boxed-lunches are inexpensive (Trader Joes, Whole Foods) and allow us to create heart-warming lunchtime activities that create warmth and connection. Providing lunch also reduces participant stress (participants feel renewed rather than stressed after standing in lines). So, we recommend that you provide catering – or require participants to bring a bagged lunch.

Be yourself.  There are no hard and fast rules here. That said, please avoid wearing anything too revealing; this is because we want to teach you to learn how to get noticed for your way of being – and revealing clothing can detract from the YOU that is independent from outward appearance. Later you can dress as you wish.

• Some participants plan their outfits in advance as a way of lowering pre-workshop stress and/or receiving feedback from peers or the facilitator (just ask).
• Layers are advised to accommodate varying temperatures in the meeting space.
• If you’re entering the workforce, preparing for an interview or engaging in a high-stake conversation: You might consider dressing one step up in formality.

Ultimately, we want you to be comfortable, so please find a solution that serves you best.

To find out how you can get a training (or a seat in a training) in your area, see this FAQ.

• Yes. It seems that almost all teen and young adult participants arrive a bit nervous. This is also true for many successful business leaders in our adult confidence workshops (aka leadership presence workshops) so there’s no need to hide your nervousness when you arrive. Unless you are challenged by significant levels of anxiety, many participants report that their nervousness typically calms down a bit after the first exercise or two. Some of our most transformed participants are those who hemmed and hawed about canceling up to the very last minute, then later felt grateful they took the risk to attend.

Will this workshop create unwavering, heroic feelings of confidence for the rest of my life and guarantee success or that I’ll be chosen for special opportunities?  No. After all, the human condition includes a wide variety of feelings. Periods of anxiety, self-doubt and wavering confidence happen to all of us, even confident, well-adjusted, uber-successful adults. This workshop simply offers 12 tools that help most people anchor into themselves while in the presence of others so that it’s more likely they’ll radiate confidence, even while nervous.

Please read this FAQ about anxiety, other mental health challenges and other special challenges here.

View all of our FAQs. If your question isn’t answered, feel feel to contact us.

The NEXT GEN Leaders’ youth leadership program is for everyone, including young adults and teens with:

• A fair level of confidence. Having decent self-esteem doesn’t necessarily translate into skills for radiating confidence. Sometimes we display behaviors that others perceive as insecurity which can lead us to become overlooked, stalled in our life goals and frustrated.
• A strong level of confidence: Many successful, accomplished people (including adults in our adult confidence workshop aka leadership presence trainings) report huge benefits from this workshop. Many adults say things such as, “I wish I had learned these tools earlier!”
• A low level of confidence: Some participants describe themselves as having low or zero confidence. That’s okay, too. You simply haven’t been taught the tools to anchor into yourself when you’re under pressure. You deserve to look and feel confident, and get respect; it’s your birthright.

These said, please note that while we teach tools to radiate confidence:

• This workshop will NOT fix low self esteem. It does NOT offer psychological tools or mental health treatment of any kind. It will NOT create heroic feelings or unwavering confidence. After all, the human condition includes a wide variety of feelings; moments of or periods of anxiety, self-doubt and wavering confidence happen to all of us. This workshop simply offers 12 tools that help most people anchor into themselves while in the presence of others to radiate confidence, even while feeling nervous. For most participants – and with continued practice – using the tools to radiate confidence gets easier.
• Uncertain Outcomes: Given that everyone is so different – with a unique background and customs – we can’t guarantee any outcomes.
• Our services are NOT facilitated by mental health professional or special needs providers who can recognize symptoms indicating stress or other unwanted symptoms of exacerbated problems.

View this FAQ about confidence, anxiety, mental health and other special needs and accommodations.

View all of our FAQs. If your question isn’t answered, feel feel to contact us.

Power for Everyone. We welcome EVERYONE.

Read this entire FAQ: It has important information throughout.

If you have a special challenge, please share your challenge and favored accommodations at least a few weeks prior to registering (longer is better). This way we can make sure the chosen facility – usually chosen by the contracting agency – can accommodate your special needs and an accommodation acceptable to you.

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Truth: Everyone arrives a bit nervous, even uber-successful professional in our adult confidence workshop (aka leadership presence workshops).

• It’s natural and normal to feel uneasy whenever we practice new tools and get feedback from others. Everyone begins rooting for each other (wait until you see this). After all, each participant is trying get to the same place (radiating confidence), and each brings strengths that the others don’t have, so we learn from each other. It’s heart-warming. No one gets left out.
• Many of our workshops include solo exercises in which each participant practices the tools while the rest of the group observes and provides feedback; additionally some of our workshops include video feedback. Most of us feel some anxiety during solo exercises and the group review of before/after videos. Still, most participants report that it’s worth it. After all, they’ll always know simple tools to look confident while under pressure.
• Most participants tell us that their anxiety calms down somewhat after the first exercise. This is because we aim to create a safe and supportive atmosphere and use a balanced feedback method.
• Most participants leave the workshop feeling not only safe but closer with the other participants and enjoying having a network of allies they can call on to give them honest yet supportive feedback.

This workshop is for everyone, including those with:

• A fair level of confidence. Having decent self-esteem doesn’t necessarily translate into skills for radiating confidence. Sometimes we display behaviors that others perceive as insecurity which can lead us to become overlooked, stalled in our life goals and frustrated.
• A strong level of confidence: Many successful, accomplished people (including adults in our adult confidence workshop aka leadership presence trainings) report huge benefits from this workshop. Many adults say things such as, “I wish I had learned these tools earlier!”
• A low level of confidence: Some participants describe themselves as having low or zero confidence. That’s okay, too. You simply haven’t been taught the tools to anchor into yourself when you’re under pressure. You deserve to look and feel confident, and get respect; it’s your birthright.

These said, please note:

• This workshop will NOT fix low self esteem. It does NOT offer psychological tools or mental health treatment of any kind. It will NOT create heroic feelings or unwavering confidence. After all, the human condition includes a wide variety of feelings; moments of or periods of anxiety, self-doubt and wavering confidence happen to all of us. This workshop simply offers 12 tools that help most people anchor into themselves while in the presence of others to radiate confidence, even while feeling nervous. For most participants – and with continued practice – using the tools to radiate confidence gets easier.
• Uncertain Outcomes: Given that everyone is so different – with a unique background and customs – we can’t guarantee any outcomes.
• Our services are NOT facilitated by mental health professional or special needs providers who can recognize symptoms indicating stress or other unwanted symptoms of exacerbated problems.

ANXIETY, OTHER MENTAL HEALTH OR DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES:

If the prospective participant has potentially serious issues with anxiety, other mental health challenges or a developmental challenge and/or is under the care of a mental health or medical provider, we strongly recommend that you:

• Get clearance from the professionals that know the individual best and provide them with this FAQ, all webpages pertaining to this service, and the registration form (which will be provided to the contracting organization).
• Describe to us in detail your condition and outline acceptable accommodations on the group workshop registration form. The registration form is provided to the contracting agency; this agency either signs terms for participants or provides participants with a link; therefore, prior to attending ask the organization who invited you to share registration terms to make sure you agree with them.
• Share our website, this FAQ and related materials (including the terms and agreements) with treating medical providers and follow their advice. These professionals may contact us at any time.

PHYSICAL + MOBILITY CHALLENGES + OTHER SPECIAL NEEDS

• Power for Everyone!  People who use wheelchairs and other assisted equipment are warmly welcome; each participant will simply practice the tools to the extent they can with our help finding workable variations. If there is not a workable variation (for example, if a participant can’t stand up fully) for 1 or 2 tools, it’s okay: the tools work together and we’ll emphasize the tools you are able to use.

Important: Share your challenges and favored accommodations with us PRIOR to registering (at least a few weeks prior) so that we can make sure the chosen facility – selected by the contracting agency – can accommodate your favored special needs accommodations.

Organizations who sign our service agreements (which include similar terms): Carefully check with each participant and – if the participant can not legally consent for him/herself – his/her legal guardians) to determine the appropriateness of our programs.

View FAQ Cultural Considerations

We’re sorry: We do not provide public workshops (single seat purchase).

Our youth leadership programs are for pre-established groups.

Want a single seat for yourself? Suggest our youth leadership program to a local organization. If this organization sponsors the workshop, you may work with them to obtain a seat.

Inquire with these organizations to see if they might be interested in procuring a workshop, either Live Onsite or Live Virtual. Tip: While searching: remember to include your metropolitan area or town so that you find local chapters of each:

• Schools, Colleges
• Youth-Service Organizations: Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA
• Faith Groups: Their teen group coordinator might be especially interested
• Sponsors: Is there an individual or group in your community that often gives back?  Ask if they might sponsor a workshop.
• Local Do-Gooders: Kiwanis Clubs, Lions Clubs
• Young Professionals: Many Chamber of Commerce branches offer a Young Professional branch.
• Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn:  Send a message to your associates to see if you can find enough interest for an Onsite workshop or Live Virtual.
• Clubs
• Greek Life: Fraternities,  Sororities

Every race, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, etcetera is EQUAL. Power for Everyone.™

• Since it’s impossible to teach a course without any point of reference, the tips in this course are based on the culture it originated from: Western Culture, in particular the customs of the United States.
• But this doesn’t mean western culture is the best viewpoint.
  • After all, even within western culture, individuals have wildly different viewpoints.
• If any of these tips don’t fit your cultural or other preferences, your options include: Skip these tips, modify them, and/or share your perspective with the facilitator and the group.
• If you have a special challenge (mental health, physical, any challenge) that restricts your ability to practice any of these tools, just do the best that you can – or ask for our help finding a variation. The success of these tools depends on their collective use. View this FAQ about special needs and special challenges.
• FINALLY: We encourage participants to take others’ cultural customs and special challenges into account. When in doubt, we encourage the UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF KINDNESS.

View all of our FAQs. If your question isn’t answered, feel feel to contact us.

Maximums:

• Our Onsite NEXT GEN Leader youth development program workshops typically allow for a maximum of 16 attendees (some exceptions can be made). Smaller groups work well, too: fewer attendees result in greater transformation since more practice time is available.
• Our Live Virtual NEXT GEN Leader workshops accommodate a max of 12 attendees (some exceptions can be made). Smaller groups work well, too: fewer attendees result in greater transformation since more practice time is available.

Minimums for all above services: Small groups are welcome; the smaller the group, the more time is allowed for practice, practical application and personalized feedback. Since peer observation, peer feedback and peer support enrich the learning experience we recommend a minimum of 4-6 participants for our youth leadership programs, but there are no hard and fast rules for minimums.

Our adult transformational leadership presence workshops teach the same 12 tools to radiating confidence. These workshops are customized for adults in the workplace and are available for pre-established groups (no single seats).