SKILLS THAT LAST A LIFETIME
NextGen Academy provides a multitude of experiences over a short period of time - in one
year,
you will accomplish what many people may not in an entire lifetime. You will do things you've
never
done and go places you've never gone before. You might travel overseas, or organize a workshop
for over a hundred people. As we love to say, NGA is a leadership program, not a followship program.
You're going to learn things that are 100% applicable to your everyday life after NGA is over - things
that
will put you years ahead of people your own age. The following are only some of the things you
may
gain during your time with NGA, whether that be the full year or summer program.
PERSONAL INTEGRITY
The lifestyle led on NGA is one that cultivates strong personal integrity. You won't be told what
to do every day - you will be the one deciding when to work hard, when to invest in your projects, and
how you get things done. Your responsibility is to take this personal freedom and turn itinto personal
integrity, and our promise is to support you on that path. Your will uncover your true strength when
you live with integrity, doing things not because they are easy but because it is right. You can become
someone who will overcome any situation and challenge even the most difficult tasks.
CONFIDENCE
Every human being struggles with issues of self-esteem. However, you will see your self-
confidence grow as you accomplish your goals time and time again. Yes, it will be hard, but the result
will be rock-hard evidence of how awesome you are. You will be surrounded by people who will believe
in you, and it will be up to you to prove them and yourself right. This self-confidence will serve you
wherever you go - people are naturally attracted to those who hold a firm, modest belief in oneself. Learn
how to part a room without saying a word.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
There are some who say that they would rather die than speak in public. That might be some
of you. Yes, speaking in front of other people is never easy. However, the more you do it, the easier it
becomes. On NGA you will have countless opportunity to become a regular in speaking your mind in
a public setting. One day you might address our group of 50, and the next day you might be talking to
600 students at a school. We'll give you the tools for effectively communicating with people and how to
share your passion with your audience. It's up to you to run with it. In this modern day and age, people
who can present an idea before a group are few and far between. Stand out and be noticed.
TEAM WORK AND LEADERSHIP
Every organized group in the world is essentially a team. This includes NGA, where the leader
of our teams are our participants. You'll learn how to take care of members on a team, how to create
a team that works together, and how to get them to do things effectively. You will have opportunities
to step into your natural leadership like never before. Upon completing this training, you will have
no doubts about your abilities as a leader. You'll become a master at managing energy, and being aware of
team dynamics as well as being a good team player. There are tons of opportunities for you to be involved
in team leadership at NGA. That means you'll get direct experience in leading a team, building valuable
leadership skills to help you in your life, wherever you go.
ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
To every event that takes place, there is always someone behind the scenes organizing the
whole thing. This person is extremely important because if it wasn't for him, the event would never
actually happen. At NGA you will learn how to organize events, from a small evening program for a 6 -
person team to an entire workshop for over 100 people. It all depends on how much you want to learn.
Of course, this skill is very attractive to future employers and organizations. Everyone loves someone
who can make things happen.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Going overseas to serve is an opportunity those in America rarely get. Going overseas to have
fun and be a tourist is one thing; going overseas to help those in need is completely different. You will
witness the situation of people in developing countries first-hand. You will see the reality of the world's
raw emotion, its suffering, its joy, and traditions, seeing its population not just as people on a television
screen but as people with whom we share a common base. Seeing something like that will forever alter
the way you look at the abundance of material we enjoy in this country, and raise awareness towards
how we act as individuals and as a nation to care for those countries who are not as fortunate as us.
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
While on NGA, you will inevitably interact with people every single day. Whether you're working
together with them on a massive project or simply holding a conversation, you'll be cultivating skills
that are absolutely invaluable to anyone you'll be spending time with in the future. You'll be able to
communicate your own desires, while appearing friendly, polite, and concerned for others. One of the
most important lessons you'll gain is the knowledge that while you cannot force others to change, you
always have the choice to accept others as how they are and focus on making the best out of every
situation. This skill will be priceless later on when it comes to dealing with people at work, your family,
or spouse.
