Striving Toward Empowered Personal Success (STEPS), our charity spotlight in Connecticut, is an organization dedicated to “Empowering Girls, Uplifting Communities.” They pursue these objectives through a series of programs specifically targeting Middle Schoolers, High Schoolers during the school year and also host a summer leadership program for both sets of girls.
For the middle school set, facilitators “put together interactive and informative work sessions that address issues the girls identify as areas requiring support.” These issues could range from self-esteem to bullying, to teen dating violence. A key element of the programs is building a trusted support system for the girls as they make their way through early adolescence.
Once the girls reach high school the program is structured to reinforce “the objectives of the middle school program but also engages the students in their community via community service, provides job readiness training and teaches life skills such as money management and interview preparation.” Team building and leadership skills are honed during time in this program; however, equally important are the academic and life goals that the young women are taught to set and work toward achieving.
Finally in leadership camps, the program and its services remain available to participants in July and August when school is not in session. The emphasis changes to activities and challenges which build both life-long lessons as well as memories for the girls. “Trips are planned in an effort to enhance educational and life exposure while captivating the young ladies imaginations.”
I personally love the summer leadership programs focus on making memories. Nothing stokes a motivational fire like personal experiences with success and joyful times. STEPS is another great example of a grass roots organization that really gets the needs of the core group they support and are making strides toward bettering their lives.
Learn more about them at their web page.