inspirED
Meet our scholars, educators, donors and partners.
Transforming Our Community.
One Scholarship at a Time.
Step Up For Students Scholarships do more than fund education. They change lives. Students thrive in environments that fit their needs. Educators extend their reach to support vulnerable students. Communities grow stronger as educational systems improve.
This is inspireEd. Welcome.
Here, you will get an inside view of that transformation in progress. See what happens when students and their families discover the power of taking control over their academics. Watch as they forge new pathways to a better future. Find inspiration in their determination to achieve their dreams.
These are the stories of Florida students who have renewed hope because they have a school that better fits their needs or educational materials to unlock their potential. They are the stories of a community that has come together to support the belief that educational choice matters. Here, you can be a part of this incredible journey.
This is inspireEd. Welcome.
Here, you will get an inside view of that transformation in progress. See what happens when students and their families discover the power of taking control over their academics. Watch as they forge new pathways to a better future. Find inspiration in their determination to achieve their dreams.
These are the stories of Florida students who have renewed hope because they have a school that better fits their needs or educational materials to unlock their potential. They are the stories of a community that has come together to support the belief that educational choice matters. Here, you can be a part of this incredible journey.
Latest Posts
Personalized Education Program, Beyond the Scholarship, Scholarship News, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Lofty dreams and a PEP scholarship power 12-year-old pilot in training
Sep 8, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, School Choice, Step Up For Students
A Man for Others: Jesuit High senior embodies the school's commitment to serve those in need
Dec 18, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Scholarship News, School Choice, Step Up For Students
The challenges of attending a private school prepared the Mathis siblings for the challenges of life
Dec 17, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Step Up For Students, Beyond the Scholarship, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, School Spotlights
This experience is fun, exciting, scary: What is appearing on 'Jeopardy!'?
Dec 11, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Step Up For Students, Beyond the Scholarship, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, School Choice, School Spotlights
Why retire when you can breathe life into your alma mater and save it from closing
Dec 5, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Home Education, Personalized Education Program, School Choice, Step Up For Students
Ed Choice scholarship helps student-athlete navigate the world of Name, Image, and Likeness
Nov 17, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Your gift will change a student's life
Our dedication to students doesn’t end when they receive a scholarship. Your support will enable Step Up to maximize the impact of the scholarships the students receive.
Donate now!
Browse More From The Blog
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Gardiner Scholarships, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
podcastED: Florida scholarship mom says adding flexibility could benefit her family
On this episode, senior writer Lisa Buie talks with Jacquelyn Forte of Pensacola, Florida. Forte is the mother of four children, including three who attend a Catholic school on state education choice scholarships. Her oldest child, Jude, initially received the McKay Scholarship for Students with Disabilities, which merged this year with the state Family Empowerment […]
Learn More
South Florida school a ‘builder of boys, maker of men’
BY TOM JACKSON Just now, the news Palm Beach Christian Preparatory School is making belongs on the sports pages — which is what you would expect when a bunch of coaches launches a private school. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. To its enormous credit, PBCPS embraces vigorous competition as one of its ideals, and for […]
Learn More
Education choice scholarships lead to right environment which leads to bright futures
BY ROGER MOONEY MIAMI – Louise Janvier uses the word “environment” often when talking about education choice and how it can rescue a child. “Sometimes, when a kid is going to go through things in life, they have to be in the right environment in order to pull through,” she said. “Some of them don’t […]
Learn More
20 years of Educational Opportunity, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Gardiner Scholarships, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Learning job skills, gaining confidence and making a very big friend with the help of an education choice scholarship
JACKSONVILLE, Florida – Not every student at North Florida School of Special Education rides Chief within minutes of meeting the big horse, but that’s what James Guha did one day during the summer of 2021. Oh, it took some encouraging and a little cajoling from Andrew Sack, the barn manager. Chief is big and a […]
Learn More
20 years of Educational Opportunity, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Gardiner Scholarships, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
JJ Humphrey sees nomination for acting award as 'big deal' for him and other neurodivergent actors
What intrigued JJ Humphrey about his starring role in the play, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” was his ability to relate to the lead character. While never mentioned in Mark Haddon’s novel, Christopher Boone, the protagonist, is on the autism spectrum. So is JJ. A neurodivergent actor playing a neurodivergent character. […]
Learn More
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Gardiner Scholarships, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
King family offers a dozen reasons why 'one size doesn't fit all' when it comes to education
LAKE MARY, Florida – The King family is together on a Saturday morning – and that means kids everywhere. Christy and Troy King have 16 children, including 11 who were adopted. The oldest is a college graduate who lives on her own. Three are off to college in Ohio. That leaves 12 at home, and […]
Learn More
20 years of Educational Opportunity, Beyond the Scholarship, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Gardiner Scholarships, School Spotlights, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Two Step Up For Students schools earn coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools distinction
Holy Spirit Catholic School, a preK-8 school in Jacksonville with an enrollment of 219, and St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, with a student body of more than 2,000, are the only schools in Florida to earn the coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools distinction for 2022. Both schools have students who receive education […]
Learn More
20 years of Educational Opportunity, Gardiner Scholarships, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Willette's story: Vibing to her own frequency and helping everyone she meets along the way
JACKSONVILLE, Florida – Willette Treadway wants to help. She wants to help her classmates, teachers and administrators at North Florida School of Special Education, where she is in the Secondary 3 classroom. She wants to help her family and friends. She wants to help the homeless population in Jacksonville. “One thing about me,” Willette said, […]
Learn More
20 years of Educational Opportunity, Donor Corner, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Republic National Distributing Company donates $82 million to help provide scholarships for Florida schoolchildren
Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), one of the nation’s leading wholesale alcohol beverage distributors, has contributed $82 million to Step Up For Students, providing more than 10,300 Florida schoolchildren with access to the right education to help them succeed. Since 2012, Republic National Distributing Company has generously funded more than 81,170 scholarships through contributions totaling […]
Learn More
20 years of Educational Opportunity, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Rising Stars, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Education choice scholarship helps Khairi dream big
ROGER MOONEY MIAMI GARDENS, Florida – Like nearly every football-playing high school senior in the country, Khairi Muhammad dreams of an All-American college career that leads to his selection near the top of the NFL Draft. The desire fuels him, sometimes waking him in the middle of the night with a burst of adrenalin so […]
Learn MoreNo more content to load.
Load More