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
The sky is the limit: How an ed choice scholarship turned Aaliyah into a straight-A student
Apr 22, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, Beyond the Scholarship, graduate, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
With the help of a private school scholarship, Duke is 'ready for the bigger world'
Aug 12, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Beyond the Scholarship, Gardiner Scholarships, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Of Funyuns, Skinny Pop, and iced tea: How Jack brought healthy snacks to his school
Aug 7, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, 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
Private school scholarships allowed the Roland family to meet the academic needs of their children
Jul 22, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Beyond the Scholarship, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
This kid can do things: The Caleb Prewitt Story
Jul 16, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, graduate, School Choice, Step Up For Students
Books, banners, boats and National Merit Scholarships
Jun 30, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
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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
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 […]
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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 […]
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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. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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20 years of Educational Opportunity, Donor Corner, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Scholarship News, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Gas South donates $500,000 to support Florida schoolchildren
Gas South, one of the leading natural gas marketers in the Southeast, has contributed $500,000 to Step Up For Students, helping more than 65 Florida schoolchildren attend a K-12 school that best fits their learning needs. This is the first year that Gas South has partnered with Step Up For Students, a nonprofit organization that […]
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20 years of Educational Opportunity, Gardiner Scholarships, graduate, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Of courage, basketball and conquering the obstacles in his way: The Justin Williams story
OCOEE, Florida – Justin Williams was 8 when he underwent surgery to allow more room for his brain to grow. For two months he wore a halo brace and a plate on the roof of his mouth to push the bones in his face forward one agonizing millimeter at a time. At one point, Justin […]
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