LEO Program Adams County

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LEO Program Adams County

The LEO Program is state approved program available to all youth ages 12-20 in Adams County, WI. LEO stands for Learn & Empower Oneself.

LEO empowers youth with practical tools to understand their brains and quickly improve resilience, adaptability, and fearlessness in a rapidly changing world. The LEO Program is a state-approved interactive resilience building program for youth ages 14-20 in Adams County, WI. The mission of The LEO Program is to empower youth to understand their unique brains and quickly improve resilience, adapta

bility, and fearlessness in a rapidly changing world. Resilience is the ability to bounce back during challenging circumstances. Resilience helps individuals recover from setbacks, adapt well to change and keep going in the face of adversity. LEO explores how the human brain works and why our brain is not prepared for the challenges of today’s world. Our lower brain, also known as the survival brain, dominants our day to day life. LEO challenges participants to use different tools and strategies like mindfulness, breathing, gratitude, and more to rewire their brains. By rewiring their brains, they are able to demonstrate improved leadership, creative problem solving, stress management, and become resilient. The LEO Program is funded through the Brighter Futures Initiative Grant through the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. LEO is operated by professional staff from CW Solutions in partnership with Adams County Human Services. Program curriculum is adapted from the Life Ecology Organization, founded by Dr. Niraj Nijhawan. LEO began operating in Wood County in January 2019.

07/31/2026

Self-worth, having a positive view of yourself and knowing that you have value no matter what others think, say, or believe is created within yourself. Positive self-talk is a critical skill for building resilience or the ability to quickly recover from difficult things. It is our inner voice that reminds us we can get back up again even when it feels like we cannot. It also reduces anxiety, increases dopamine, creates new connections in the brain, and promotes positive thinking.

07/30/2026

Did you know your brain is still developing until you are on average, about 25-27 years old? Each person is unique, so age may be different for everyone. During adolescence your higher brain is not yet fully developed. LEO can teach you tools to help you develop your higher brain in a healthy and safe way.

07/29/2026

LEO wants you to know that every thought we have is not a fact. Our brains cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined. Our past experiences, our emotions shape what we think, while our lower brain reacts to protect us. We have the power to connect with our higher brain and think about why we have the thoughts we have. Ask yourself is this how I am feeling or is this true?

07/28/2026

When we feel anxious our amygdala sends us an alert and our insula translates the physical experience of our emotions. Our lower brain cannot tell the difference between an immediate threat (fear) and anxiety (in our mind, not immediate). This activates our stress response and releases cortisol. When we name our emotions, we connect with our higher brain, it calms down our alert system (amygdala) and cools off our lower brain. Allowing us to respond in a cool, calm, and collected way.

07/27/2026

Did you know that when you smile you can make your brain think that is happy even if you are not? Whe¬n you smile, your facial muscles send a signal to your brain and releases dopamine (pleasure and reward hormone), while fighting off cortisol (our stress hormone). Smiling is contagious, helps us to be resilient, strengthens positive relationships, boosts our mood, and gives us an improved viewpoint of life.

07/23/2026

Our lower brain is responsible for keeping us safe. Fear is a survival instinct that keeps us alive. Sometimes we need to react. For example, say you are about to cross a street, and you have a crosswalk light saying it is okay to go, but you see a car coming really fast and not slowing down, your lower brain will react, and you will not walk across.

06/26/2026

LEO encourages you to use your higher brain to be creative. What is a unique calming tool you use to reduce your cortisol?

06/25/2026

Your lower brain will react to an unexpected thing that is happening. Your lower brain reacts to unexpected things from our survival mode with strong fight, flight, or freeze reactions. Your higher brain will help you to find opportunities when that happens. A positive mindset will help you find those opportunities and release dopamine and bring you joy.

06/24/2026

In LEO, neuroplasticity is what we call the brain’s ability to change and grow. LEO encourages you to try something new. This creates new connections in your brain and helps you build new pathways allowing you to grow. It is important to keep learning because our brain needs mental exercise just like our bodies to stay strong.

06/19/2026

In LEO our lower brain’s job is to keep us safe and alive. Our lower brain does not physically control what a threat is and so it tries to predict any possible danger. When you are feeling overwhelmed that is your lower brain reacting. When you feel that emotion try to recognize it. Ask your higher brain is this in my control? This can really help you stay connected with yourself, and your higher brain.

Address

Adams County Health & Human Services, 108 E North Street
Friendship, WI
53934

Website

https://changewithin.net/programs/leo

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