Working with Next Step is your next best step. We help people and organizations reach the next level of their highest potential. LEARN MORE Central Iowa Yoga Retreat Join us April 25, 2026 at Raccoon River Nature Lodge. Come to MOVE. Leave with COMMUNITY! REGISTER! Get outdoors & soak up the summer. And kids. So much learning happens outdoors! LEARN MORE The Growth Deck has a new look, & lower price! Simple activities to help SETTLE, CREATE and PLAY. We NEED this! ACTIVITY CARDS Join Martha Life is full of adventure when you travel. Come along to Poland, Lithuania, Vienna & Budapest. READ THE BLOG
 Afternoon session at the Central Iowa Yoga Retreat View from the boat on the Vistula River Breathing Buddies June climbing Grandmother Redbud with Luna watching

Next Step Adventure is ready to help you level up.

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Through a unique blend of development, leadership, and facilitation, we help you reach the next level with an approach that’s different // mindful // fun // creative.

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What We’re Up To

Central Iowa Yoga Retreat Flyer 2025

Save the date for the 2026 Central Iowa Yoga Retreat–April 25.

Join us at Raccoon River Nature Lodge in West Des Moines. Come to move, and learn with community. Contact Martha for more info on teaching and attending.

We’re organizing a retreat where you can connect with old friends, and make some new ones. Spring isn’t THAT far away!

Watch for updates here

Shelly and Sara work closely with the Iowa Farm to School movement. Sara works with the Farm, Food, and Enterprise Development at ISU, and Shelly teaches nutrition to kids through Pick a Better Snack.

Eating well is crucial to good health, and local food is a growing concern in Iowa.

Autumn is here. Lots of healthy, local foods are in your grocery store. Do you know how to use them?

Connect with Healthy Food
June and Hazel on the mulch pile at Sprouts Garden, Drake University
June wishing Happy Chinese New Year

The pandemic and the need for kids to learn at home inspired us to develop a collection of home learning resources that parents (and teachers) could use with their kiddos. We still offer them FOR FREE.

Creating unique ways to get your point across, and deepen understanding of the world and its mysteries.

Check out our Home Learning Resources
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Who We Work With

Practical Farmers of Iowa logo Des Moines Public Schools DMPS logo Iowa High School Athletic Association logo, Next Step Adventure client Iowa Department of Education logo, Next Step Adventure client West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce logo complete, Next Step Adventure client Des Moines Art Center logo blue, client of Next Step Adventure Iowa Farm to School Early Care Coalition logo Bluebird logo Drake University logo, client of Next Step Adventure Pick a Better Snack logo Patricia A. Tomson Center for Violence Prevention logo Field to Family logo Iowa DNR logo, Department of Natural Resources Iowa Public Radio logo SEEDS 50314 logo Shakti Yoga Shop logo Iowa State University Extension and Outreach wordmark Ames Chamber of Commerce logo United Way of Central Iowa logo

Read Our Latest Blog Posts

  • Selfie with the Mermaid of Poland
    Getting around
    As I prepare to head out for my fourth day in Warsaw, I’m a little hesitant. The confidence I built in the first two days took a hit yesterday as I ventured far from the Old Town, and dang! My feet are tired. I also bought a ticket for a six pm boat ride. Even …
  • Martha in Castle Square
    Getting My Bearings
    Here I am in Warsaw, exploring largely on my own. It’s challenging for this Libra to have unstructured time on her hands. Decisions are hard sometimes because all the options look good. Or at least good enough. Yesterday I read this post about the month of Leo; it helped me get my bearings and tap …
  • Minnehaha falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota
    Travel expands
    Travel is exhausting but it doesn’t compare to the grueliing ordeal our ancestors survived when they immigrated to the United States.