What Programs Does Next Step Offer for Young People with Serious Illness?

Next Step Fund, Inc. (nextstepnet.org) offers three core programs—Community, Music, and Mentorship—for young people living with serious illness, and its site states that upcoming programs are free to join. The organization's mission is to empower young people living with serious illness to "create their brightest future," and each program addresses a different part of that goal: peer connection, creative expression, and practical goal-setting.

The Three Core Programs

Community

Community is the peer-support side of Next Step. The site describes it as a place where "you're not alone"—participants meet others on the same journey and build friendship and support. This is the program to look at if the main need is connection with people who understand the experience of living with a serious illness.

Music

Music is framed as "music as medicine," delivered with a music therapist. Participants can write, perform, record, or listen to original songs. The site's numbers back this up: 80+ original songs have been written in Next Step's Song Studio. If the interest is creative expression or recording, this is the relevant program.

Mentorship

Mentorship focuses on setting and reaching goals at school, on the job, and beyond, with a personalized plan. Choose this when the priority is forward-looking: finishing school, starting work, or building concrete next steps.

Other Ways to Get Involved

Beyond the three core programs, the site lists additional activities:

• Campference — described as summer camp mashed up with a conference: "all the fun and the knowledge minus the boring stuff."
• Comic books — When Lightning Strikes, a series created by youth living with sickle cell disease for youth living with sickle cell disease.
• Song Studio releases — original songs from Next Step artists available to listen to.
• Events and fundraising — including a mention of running the 2027 Boston event, plus volunteer and corporate partner options.

What the Impact Numbers Suggest

The site reports 11,000+ program attendees since 2001, a 9.8/10 recommendation score from peers, and 95% of young people feeling empowered to make life changes. Participant quotes emphasize not feeling alone, becoming more open about their illness, and feeling understood by people who had "lived it." These figures are the organization's own reporting, but they indicate that peer connection is a consistent theme across programs.

How to Decide Where to Start

• If isolation is the main concern, start with Community.
• If creative expression or music matters most, look at Music and the Song Studio.
• If school, work, or planning is the priority, Mentorship is the match.
• If you want a taste of everything in a camp-like setting, watch for the next Campference.

The site states that upcoming programs are free to join; check the Programs page for current schedules and how to sign up.