The NextGen DAOE Skill-Based Learning Framework is an evidence-informed, trauma-responsive approach designed to foster essential social-emotional, leadership, and executive functioning skills among underserved youth, including those involved in the juvenile justice system. The framework is implemented both in community-based settings and within juvenile detention centers, ensuring continuity of skill development across environments.

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By organizing learning into four intentional stages—Discovery, Apply, Observe, and Evaluate (DAOE)—the framework actively engages youth in their own growth and development. This structured, cyclical process promotes self-awareness, skill mastery, and behavioral change by combining instruction, practice, reflection, and feedback.

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The DAOE model supports youth in developing critical competencies such as emotional regulation, communication, decision-making, accountability, and resilience. It also allows facilitators to tailor instruction based on individual needs while consistently measuring progress and outcomes.