More than $400,000 in AmeriCorps funding will support 500 volunteers in delivering Step Up’s mission of mentorship for teen girls across the nation.
LOS ANGELES – Step Up announced today that it has been selected to receive a grant of $400,000 from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. The grant will allow Step Up to tap into the power of volunteers and bolster its mentor training and engagement infrastructure to support the implementation of its school-based mentorship programming across six communities, with expansion to new cities in the years ahead. The investment marks the first-ever federal funding for Step Up, which celebrates its 25th year of service in 2023.
AmeriCorps provides support to community organizations to help them to alleviate poverty, expand capacity in organizations and build economic opportunity through community-driven efforts across the country. The federal agency seeks to fund effective approaches that expand volunteering, strengthen the capacity of volunteer connector organizations to recruit and retain skill-based volunteers, and develop strategies to use volunteers effectively to solve problems.
“Step Up is grateful to be selected to receive our first federal funding during our 25th year of service,” Step Up CEO Delores Druilhet Morton said. “With this investment, we’ll leverage the unique skills and diverse experiences of 500 of our volunteer mentors who will undergo robust training to develop their knowledge, competence, and confidence in providing support to Step Up teen girls nationwide.”
The Step Up volunteer mentors will guide 1,320 teen girls on 36 high school campuses in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Nashville and New York City through improved organizational capacity for mentor recruitment, training, and engagement. This partnership will enable mentors to meet the needs of teens participating in Step Up through high-impact mentoring activities that build teens’ confidence, career-readiness, and connectedness.
Step Up’s on-campus mentorship programming begins later this month in the organization’s six regions.
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ABOUT AMERICORPS
AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteerism and national service, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 200,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.
ABOUT STEP UP
Through structured mentorship programs, focused support, and inspiring connections, Step Up helps girls, and those who identify with girlhood, define and achieve their unique visions of success. Connect at suwn.org.
Media Contact: Alissa Zito Cruz, Step Up
310.880.9049
