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
Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Beyond the Scholarship, Rising Stars, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
From Snowed in to Sunny Side: Joseph's journey to self-enrichment
Jun 13, 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
Denisha Merriweather
Denisha Merriweather The daughter of a teenaged mom and high school dropout, Denisha Merriweather thought she was destined for a similar path. Receiving a scholarship from Step Up For Students changed her life. Today, the 24-year-old college graduate is working toward her master’s degree. “I’m just so grateful," Denisha said. “This never would have been […]
Learn More
Layla and Jeremiah Cirino
Layla and Jeremiah Cirino Adrienne Cirino’s children started their formal education at their neighborhood school, but soon her son started shying away from kindergarten and her daughter had days where she was ducking desks thrown by angry peers. “I felt scared,” said Layla, who starts seventh grade in August. “Me and my friends would go […]
Learn More
Julie and Faith Kleffel
Julie and Faith Kleffel Seven-year-old Faith Kleffel giggles in the background as her tutor, Tammy Forte, talks on the telephone. They’re at Faith’s house in Longwood, near Orlando, where the first-grader with Down syndrome lives with her mom and is homeschooled. “We have a room,’’ explained Forte, a former local school district paraprofessional. “That’s her […]
Learn More
Sualba Alejandro
Sualba Alejandro Ten-year-old Sualba Alejandro planted her Size 3 feet on the Faith Christian Academy stage in Orlando and tried to stay calm. In the audience, dozens of parents, children and school administrators were on hand to recognize Step Up For Students' Scholars of Excellence. The event united Step Up families from throughout Central Florida […]
Learn More
Holy Family Catholic School
Holy Family Catholic School (Published in October, 2013) Jacksonville - Any old red carpet simply wouldn’t do. So in the fall of 2012, Holy Family Catholic School rolled out a specially designed one that a family donated after the school received the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Award. It’s emblazoned with the National Blue Ribbon School seal, and it’s the […]
Learn More
South Florida Jewish Academy
South Florida Jewish Academy (Published in October, 2013) Coconut Creek - Baila Gansburg was preparing to open a Jewish preschool when opportunity came knocking at a site in Coconut Creek that used to house a school for children with special needs. “Parents came and begged us to reopen a special needs school,” Gansburg recalled. The former school, which educated […]
Learn More
Suncoast Waldorf School
Suncoast Waldorf School In 1990, equipped with their passion for education and a strong dedication to their community, Dr. C.E. and Mrs. Beulah Glover opened the doors of Mount Bethel Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale. The school was designed to provide an educational alternative for Broward County children, especially underprivileged children from the inner city […]
Learn More
The Magnolia School
The Magnolia School (Published in 2012) Tallahassee - If you drive too fast along West Tharpe Street in Tallahassee, you might miss the abrupt turn-in to the unassuming campus of The Magnolia School. But you’re in for a treat once you do descend down the steep driveway, park, walk up to the door of the main building and step […]
Learn More
Highlands Christian Academy
Highlands Christian Academy (Published in 2012) Pompano Beach - Highlands Christian Academy (HCA), located on 30 acres in Pompano Beach, has been strengthening the community through educating South Florida’s youth since the 1960s. The school, an outreach of Grace Baptist Church, serves families with children aged 3 through the 12th grade and truly focuses on developing children […]
Learn More
Christ the King Catholic School
Christ the King Catholic School (Published in 2010) Jacksonville - Stephanie Chinault beams when she talks about Christ the King Catholic School’s latest achievements. As a former student and current principal, Chinault was ecstatic to learn that Christ the King was honored by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the National Blue Ribbon Schools. […]
Learn MoreNo more content to load.
Load More