Step Up Womens Network

AT STEP UP, WE OFFER IN PERSON AFTER SCHOOL AND VIRTUAL SUMMER MENTORING PROGRAMS FOR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS. IN ADDITION, WE OFFER YEAR ROUND VIRTUAL MENTORING PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG WOMEN AGES 18-29. ALL GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS COME FROM COMMUNITIES WITH LIMITIED RESOURCES OR ARE FACING SYSTEMIC BARRIERS. WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR PROGRAMS AND THE MENTORING CONNECTIONS WE PROVIDE, THEY BECOME CONFIDENT, CONNECTED AND CAREER READY SO THAT THEY CAN JOIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN LEADERS. 100% OF STEP UP PARTICIPANTS HAVE ACCESS TO MULTIPLE MENTORS.

TEEN PROGRAMS: STEP UP SUPPORTS HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS AND THOSE WHO IDENTIFY WITH GIRLHOOD AGES 14-18 THROUGH AN EVIDENCED BASED NINE-WEEK AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM OFFERS SPECIALIZED CAREER EXPLORATION PROGRAMMING AND LEVERAGES A SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING LENS TO HELP GIRLS EXPLORE CAREER INTERESTS, GAIN EXPOSURE TO VARIOUS INDUSTRIES AND BEGIN TO BUILD A CAREER PATH. DURING THE SUMMER, STEP UP ALSO OFFERS THREE WEEKS OF POWERFUL CAREER PREP IN CONJUNCTION WITH STEP UP CORPORATE PARTNERS WHO HOST CAREER CONNECTED AND EXPERENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. AS A RESULT OF THEIR PARTICPATION IN STEP UP, 62% REPORTED INCREASED CAREER-READINESS, 65% REPORTED INCREASED CONNECTEDNESS, AND 63% OF YOUNG ADULTS REPORTED INCREASED CONFIDENCE. ON AVERAGE, TEENS RATED OUR PROGRAM 4.7 OUT OF 5 STARS.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: STEP UP'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM DEVELOPS AND FOSTERS SUSTAINED STRATEGIC COLLABORATIONS THAT ARE BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL IN REACH. THEY ENSURE SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT OF EXTERNAL PARTNERS SUCH AS SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. IN THE COMING YEARS, STEP UP'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM WILL SEEK TO ENGAGE MORE STAKEHOLDERS AND CONSTITUENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHILE DEEPENING OUR IMPACT IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHERE WE LIVE AND SERVE. DURING 2023, STEP UP EXPANDED ITS REACH TO 2 NEW COMMUNITIES, 12 NEW SCHOOLS PARTNERS FOR A TOTAL OF 33, AND LEVERAGED 40 TRAINED PROFESSIONALS TO DELIVER OUR AFTERSCHOOL CURRICULUM.

MEMBER PROGRAMS: STEP UP IS ABLE TO DELIVER A HIGH LEVEL OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, CAREER PREPARATION, AND MENTORSHIP THROUGH ITS NETWORK OF HIGHLY ENGAGED MENTORS. STEP UP MEMBER PROGRAMS HELP THE ORGANIZATION RECRUIT NEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WILL LEVERAGE THEIR RESOURCES ON BEHALF OF STEP UP GIRLS. FUELED WITH THIS ADDITIONAL PEOPLE POWER, STEP UP ENSURES ALL GIRLS ARE ON THE PATHWAY TO ACHIEVE HIGH SCHOOL AND POST-SECONDARY SUCCESS AND HAVE THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION, OPPORTUNITIES, AND RESOURCES THAT WILL HELP THEM PURSUE AND ACHIEVE THEIR UNIQUE DREAMS OF SUCCESS. IN 2023, MORE THAN 900 STEP UP MENTORS REPRESENTING A VARIETY OF INDUSTRIES AND BACKGROUNDS BROUGHT A DEPTH AND DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE TO STEP UP GIRLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

YOUNG ADULT PROGRAMS: STEP UP SUPPORTS YOUNG WOMEN AND THOSE WHO IDENTFY WITH WOMANHOOD AGES 18-29 AS THEY TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND NAVIGATE THEIR POST SECONDARY PURSUITS. WE FOCUS ON HELPING THEM TO FURTHER HONE THE SKILLS THEY WILL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE CLASSROOM, IN THE WORKFORCE, AND IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE MENTORING MODEL PAIRS YOUNG WOMEN WITH PROFESSIONAL MENTORS FOR STRUCTURED INDIVIDUALIZED CAREER COACHING, OFFERS CAREER FOCUSED FLASH MENTORING, AND PLACES THEM IN SHORT TERM MICROINTERNSHIPS. AS A RESULT OF THEIR PARTICPATION IN STEP UP, 83% REPORTED INCREASED CAREER-READINESS, 88% OF YOUNG ADULTS REPORTED INCREASED CONFIDENCE, AND 82% REPORTED INCREASED CONNECTEDNESS.