Record last updated 2022/06/21 Comment on this info .Update this info

Narrative

At Next Step, we work with young people 16-29 years old who are living with both the immediate and long-term impact of cancer, HIV/AIDS or rare genetic disorders.

Our year-round programs are free of charge to participants, and take place at our facility in the Central Square neighborhood of Cambridge, MA, New England and across the country in partnership with local hospitals and service organizations.

A key part of our impact lies in the relationships built among the youth we support. The only person in the world who can understand what it's like to start high school with a bald head from chemo treatments or miss extensive days because of a sickle cell pain crisis is another young person who's been there too. The power of that shared experience can be life-changing.

Our teen and young adult participants co-design our curricula, resulting in programs that speak to young people in their own language and are remarkably successful at keeping them engaged and learning during their transition to adulthood. Programs are intentionally kept small, and many meet multiple times throughout the year, so we can give youth the in-depth, individualized attention they need and deserve.

If you are a young person living with a life-threatening illlness who would like to join one of our programs or if you are someone who is curious about Next Step in general, please contact our program director, Kepler Jeudy, at kepler@nextstepnet.org or at 617.864.2921. We look forward to hearing from you!

Program Type

• Support Groups

Populations Served

• Cancer
• Genetic Disorders
• Sickle Cell Disease

Ages Served

Additional Information

• Fees: Free Service