Youth Development · Detroit, Michigan

Experiential life skills education for Detroit's next generation.

DMBE partners with schools and community organizations to deliver structured programming in emotional regulation, physical awareness, and financial decision-making — taught through simulation, not lecture.

Request a Session View Programs
90-min
Structured sessions
30
Participants per group
CASEL
SEL-aligned framework
Most-requested experience
Life Skills Simulation
1
Draw

An identity, housing pick, or curveball card.

2
Decide

Rent or own. Bus pass or car note.

3
React

Problems, fixes, and hustles hit next.

4
Reflect

Facilitators debrief every choice made.

IDENTITY
DRAW 01
Monthly Income
$3,200
Job
Office assistant (full-time)
Family Size
You + 1 elderly parent
Special Condition
$250/month for medication & supplies
Draw a card ↻

Identity, housing, transportation, problems, fixes, hustles, investments, vacations — every draw changes the plan.

Flagship Programs

Immersion, not instruction.

Five flagship experiences anchor our programming. Any workshop can be combined to build custom programs for your school or organization.

Core Flagship

Life Skills Simulation

Participants draw a randomized life identity and navigate housing, budgeting, emergencies, and income in real time — experiencing consequence in a structured environment.

Program details →
Mind + Body

Emotional Awareness Activity

A movement, breathwork, and reflection experience that builds the foundation for emotional intelligence and self-regulation.

Program details →
Financial

Investment Blitz

A fast-paced introduction to risk, reward, and long-term thinking that builds genuine investing behavior and decision discipline.

Program details →
Financial

Money Mindset Scene

A scenario-driven session where participants confront real spending temptations and values conflicts in the moment — building self-awareness around why they spend, not just how.

Program details →
Financial

Budget Immersion

A hands-on money simulation where participants shop with a real budget, count cash, make change, save toward a goal, and plan for a trip — building everyday money habits through practice, not lecture.

Program details →
Our Framework

Three pillars. One integrated system.

01

Mind

Emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and mental regulation — developed through breathwork, reflection, and structured awareness activities.

02

Body

Movement-based regulation that connects physical awareness to emotional control — particularly effective for youth managing stress and overstimulation.

03

Financial

Real-world financial thinking: budgeting, needs versus wants, risk and reward, and opportunity cost — practiced through immersive decision-making.

Detroit youth walking together through a neighborhood park

Early intervention, where habits are formed.

Serving Detroit youth ages 5–13 in schools, after-school programs, and community centers.

Bring structured life skills programming to your students.

Single workshops, full simulation experiences, and six-week cohort programs — designed for schools and youth organizations across Detroit.

Request a Session
About DMBE

Built from lived experience.

Detroit Mind and Body Empowerment LLC is a youth development organization that teaches life skills through simulation, movement, and real-world decision-making.

Jay FieldsFounder & Lead Facilitator

Our story

Jay Fields grew up in Detroit in a single-parent household, where discipline, emotional control, and decision-making were learned through real-life pressure rather than structured guidance. At Wayne State University — studying Business Management & Marketing with a minor in Yoga and Mindfulness — he discovered the tools that transformed how he managed stress, built focus, and approached money.

"I built the system I wish I had growing up."

DMBE translates that journey into structured programming. The core belief: young people don't just need information — they need practice making decisions under real emotional, physical, and financial conditions.

Our approach

DMBE is not a traditional classroom program. Every session is experiential — built around simulation, movement, reflection, and application. Our programming aligns with national Social Emotional Learning frameworks (CASEL) while remaining hands-on, emotionally engaging, and behavior-driven.

Outcomes we build toward

Emotional awareness

Recognizing, labeling, and regulating emotions under pressure.

Self-regulation

Discipline and calm built through movement and mindfulness practice.

Decision-making

Trade-off thinking, consequence awareness, and long-term planning.

Financial literacy

Budgeting, opportunity cost, and real-world money habits.

Who We Serve

Partners across Detroit.

Public & charter schools
After-school programs
Community centers
Summer youth programs

Let's design the right program for your students.

Request a Session
Programs

Flagship experiences & supporting modules.

All programs run as 90-minute facilitated sessions for groups of up to 30 participants, delivered on-site at your school or organization.

Core Flagship

Life Skills Simulation

Our defining experience. Participants draw a randomized life identity — income, occupation, family situation — and navigate housing, transportation, budgeting, emergencies, and opportunity in real time.

$800 per experience

What participants experience

  • Randomized life identity card draw
  • Real-time budgeting and trade-off decisions
  • Event cards introducing consequence and surprise
  • Investment and side-hustle opportunities
  • Facilitated group reflection and debrief
  • Connection between emotion and financial decisions
Supporting Workshops

Stackable 90-minute modules.

Each workshop runs as a standalone 90-minute session. Book one, combine several, or pair any workshop with the Life Skills Simulation for a deeper experience.

Mind + Body

Emotional Awareness Activity

Movement, breathwork, and structured reflection combined into a foundational emotional intelligence experience.

$350–$450 per workshop

What participants experience

  • Recognizing and labeling emotions
  • Understanding triggers and reactions
  • The Stress Thermometer technique
  • Mood Charades — reading emotion through behavior
  • Breathing and grounding practice
  • Calm-under-pressure strategies
Financial

Investment Blitz

A fast-paced simulation of risk, reward, and long-term thinking that introduces real investing behavior.

$350–$450 per workshop

What participants experience

  • Risk versus reward decision rounds
  • Opportunity cost in action
  • Long-term versus short-term thinking
  • The Banker Game — borrowing, lending, and trust
  • Needs versus wants frameworks
  • Group debrief and real-life application
Financial

Money Mindset Scene

A scenario-driven workshop where participants step into real spending temptations and values conflicts — confronting why they spend the way they do, not just how. Participants explore needs vs. wants, internal vs. external values, and what it means to make money decisions that reflect who they actually are.

$350–$450 per workshop

What participants experience

  • Real spending-temptation scenarios
  • Needs vs. wants framework
  • Internal vs. external values exploration
  • Impulse vs. values-based spending
  • Money mindset and self-awareness activities
Financial

Budget Immersion

A hands-on money simulation where participants shop with a real budget, count cash, make change, and plan a trip — saving toward a goal while navigating a surprise expense along the way. Real store scenarios, real math, real trade-offs.

$350–$450 per workshop

What participants experience

  • Shopping with a real budget
  • Counting cash and making change
  • Saving toward a trip goal
  • Planning for the unexpected (a surprise expense mid-session)
  • Trade-off thinking and consequence awareness
Supporting Modules

Build a custom program.

These modules combine with our flagships to create custom workshops, school programs, and six-week cohorts ($2,000).

Stress awareness training
Focus & discipline exercises
Financial literacy fundamentals
Movement-based regulation
Decision-making games
Budgeting for a Trip
Needs vs. Wants
Money Mindset Activity
Mindful Walks
Session Structure

Every 90 minutes follows the same arc.

01

Introduce

The concept, framed in language students relate to.

02

Simulate

Interactive activity or full simulation experience.

03

Move

Guided movement or breathwork practice.

04

Reflect

Facilitated group discussion and debrief.

05

Apply

One real-life takeaway for the week ahead.

FAQ

Common questions.

DMBE programming is designed for youth ages 5–13. Content and pacing are adjusted by age group within a session.

We serve schools, after-school programs, and community centers across Detroit and the surrounding metro area. Reach out with your location and we'll confirm availability.

Sessions are built for groups of up to 30 participants. Larger groups can be accommodated by splitting into multiple sessions or adding facilitators — ask us when booking.

Standard workshops and the Life Skills Simulation run 90 minutes. Six-week cohort programs meet on a recurring weekly schedule — details are worked out during booking.

An open room or gym space with room to move, and access for setup about 15 minutes before start time. We bring all simulation materials.

Submit a request through our booking form and we'll follow up within two business days to design the right program for your group.

Ready to schedule a program?

Request a Session
Empowerment Journal

Perspectives on youth development.

Insights on mindfulness, movement, and financial literacy from the DMBE team.

Mindfulness and movement
Mind

Mindfulness and Movement: Transform Your Life Today

Jay Fields · February 2026
Mental wellness workshops
Body

Empower Your Mind: Mental Wellness Workshops in Detroit

Jay Fields · February 2026
Financial literacy
Financial

Building Financial Literacy for Youth and Young Adults

Jay Fields · February 2026
Request a Session

Bring DMBE to your organization.

Tell us about your school or program and we'll follow up within two business days to design the right experience for your students.

✓ Request received — we'll be in touch within two business days.

Program pricing

Single workshop$350–$450
Simulation experience$800
6-week cohort$2,000

What's included

  • On-site facilitation by DMBE staff
  • All materials and game components
  • Up to 30 participants per session
  • Staff debrief summary on request

Questions first?

  • Email: hello@dmbe.org
  • 11000 W McNichols Rd #323
  • Detroit, MI 48221