Helping youth grow from choices, not be defined by them.

Seed work

Seed Work is a skills-based program that helps youth understand how they make decisions - and how to make them differently.

Built on the evidence-based Keepin’ It REAL (KiR) curriculum, the program focuses on the thinking process behind choices: how emotions, peers, stress, and environment all play a role.

Each group is customized to meet the developmental level and real-life circumstances of participants. In some groups, especially when there’s an AODA-related need or an older age range, facilitators incorporate select materials from the Stanford REACH Lab to deepen discussion and strengthen relevance. In others, the KiR model alone provides the right foundation for learning and reflection.

That flexibility allows Seed Work to stay true to its evidence-based roots while remaining responsive to the unique needs, goals, and experiences of every group we serve.

Inside a Seed Work Session

Seed Work groups are small, conversational, and hands-on. Facilitators create an atmosphere of trust and curiosity, encouraging participants to explore what drives their choices rather than judging the outcome.

Depending on group composition, sessions may include storytelling, peer dialogue, creative reflection, and role-based activities that bring decision-making theory into real-world practice.
Throughout the process, participants build skills to:

  • Recognize the influences that shape their decisions

  • Slow down and think critically before acting

  • Strengthen emotional regulation and self-awareness

  • Communicate effectively, even under pressure

  • Connect daily choices to personal values and future goals

What It Grows

Every decision plants something.
Seed Work helps youth understand that what they grow next is up to them.

For some, growth looks like slowing down enough to recognize what’s driving their choices. For others, it’s realizing that one mistake doesn’t define them and that they still have control over what happens next.

By focusing on how decisions are made (not just what was decided) Seed Work helps youth develop the deeper skills that shape lasting change:

  • The confidence to pause before reacting

  • The awareness to see how emotions and environment shape behavior

  • The ability to communicate and problem-solve in healthier ways

  • The courage to make different choices, even when it’s hard

These are the roots of critical thinking, accountability, and resilience. Growth is possible even after missteps, and each choice is an opportunity to practice something new.

Seed Work helps youth grow from their choices, not be defined by them.

Let’s

Grow

Together

Seed Work is available through schools, community programs, and restorative justice initiatives.

It can be delivered in middle or high school settings and adapted to match the length, focus, and referral needs of each partner agency.

To learn more about integrating Seed Work into your programming, contact At The Roots LLC to start a conversation about partnership, training, or referral options.