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
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, Personalized Education Program, Rising Stars, Step Up For Students
Poetry in motion: The tale of one homeschool family using the PEP scholarship
May 7, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, School Choice, Step Up For Students
By running the Chicago Marathon, Caleb Prewitt continues to raise the bar for the Down syndrome community
Oct 16, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Military Family, Beyond the Scholarship, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Education choice scholarship a 'game-changer' for military family transferring to Florida
Sep 16, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
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
Personalized Education Program, Beyond the Scholarship, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Home Education, Homeschool, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Chickens, horses and ed choice scholarships combine for an ideal home education setting
Sep 3, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, Personalized Education Program, Step Up For Students
PEP students flock to Sarasota's Fab Lab, where STEAM learning is fueled by their imagination
Aug 21, 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.
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Browse More From The Blog
Podcast: Florida mom looks forward to additional benefits of education savings account
reimaginED Senior Writer Lisa Buie talks with Karen Prewitt, whose son, Caleb, 15, is benefitting from a change in Florida law that is merging the McKay Scholarship program into the state’s Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities. Click here to listen to the podcast. Born with Down Syndrome, Caleb attends North Florida School […]
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Podcast: Young, energetic and eager to enlighten a new audience about Education Choice
On this podcast, Walter Blanks Jr. and Nathan Cunneen talk about their new endeavor, the School Choice Boyz podcast with Roger Mooney, manager, communications, at Step Up For Students. Both Walter and Nate are products of school choice. Nate attended Bradenton Christian School in Florida on a Florida Tax Credit Scholarship. Walter attended private schools […]
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Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Gardiner Scholarships, School Spotlights, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Northeast Florida Catholic school lauded for outreach efforts to immigrant families
BY LISA BUIE A parochial school program intent on extending education choice to children of migrant workers has received a national award for its efforts. The National Catholic Education Association announced that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School in Palm Coast, Florida, will receive the Catherine T. McNamee CSJ Award. The award is given to an individual or institution […]
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Two families, football and education choice helps Junior realize his dreams of a college scholarship
TAMPA, Florida – Jessie “Junior” Vandeross considers himself “blessed” because: His father died when he was 3. He has a heart murmur that was detected when he was in the seventh grade and threatened to end his athletic career. The grim memories of the day his father passed away surfaced when Junior was in the […]
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Catholic high school returns to Key West. Scholarships help make it possible
For the first time in nearly 40 years, Catholic high school education will return to Key West. The Basilica School of St. Mary Star of the Sea, which currently educates students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, this week announced plans to add grades 9 and 10 in August 2023. The Basilica High School will be […]
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Sisters make education choice scholarships a family affair
It has been nearly a decade since Jasmine and Emily Rojas graduated Abundant Life Christian Academy as eighth graders, yet in a sense, they never left. The sisters still email or visit their former teachers and volunteer for school activities. When Jasmine needed a letter of recommendation for dental school, she turned to Abundant Life […]
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Sen. Rubio praises Step Up scholarships for providing life-changing opportunities
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) recently joined the Brookings Institute to discuss his role in the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, which exists within the U.S Commission on Civil Rights’ Office of the Staff Director. The bipartisan, 19-member Commission, comprised of congressional lawmakers, executive branch appointees, issue experts, activists, and other stakeholders, examines […]
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Beyond the Scholarship, Donor Corner, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Cadence Bank provides education opportunities for more than 100 students with donation to Step Up
Cadence Bank (NYSE: CADE), formerly BancorpSouth Bank, today announced a $800,000 contribution to Step Up For Students to support disadvantaged youth in Florida. The contribution will be used to provide educational opportunities to more than 100 students through K-12 scholarships and underscores Cadence’s commitment to supporting programs and initiatives that help its communities thrive. Since […]
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Education choice scholarship helps Ny'Reon create blueprint for his future
Ny’Reon Shuman has a blueprint for his future. The 17-year-old has designs on being an architect. He wants to own an architectural firm, one with offices around the world. He wants to design a big house for his grandmother, Katherine Shuman, who adopted him when he was an infant. He calls her “Mom.” “She’s made […]
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Dreams of owning a home, quality schools for the boys come true thanks to education choice scholarship
ORLANDO, Florida – Juliette Harrell was 17 when she told her mom she was pregnant. She was promptly kicked out of her house. A single mother herself, Juliette’s mom painted a bitter picture of Juliette’s new world. “My mom told me my life was over. You got to take care of your kids. You can’t […]
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