Artists Striving To End Poverty Inc

ASTEP uses the arts as a tool to empower young people with creativity, knowledge, and a strong sense of self-esteem, factors which help them advance their lives and communities. At ASTEP, we provide artists with opportunities to connect with global youths, allowing them to use their gifts to create meaningful and effective change for young people in need.

ASTEP's programs take place in communities with populations of disadvantaged children who have limited access to arts education, cultivating safe spaces in which these children can learn to communicate, express, and develop constructive decision-making skills by interacting with our participating volunteer artists/teachers. Topics covered range from self-empowerment and positive future-building to HIV/AIDS awareness. Artists from all over the globe, including recent and current Juilliard, New York University, Miami University and Furman students, Broadway professionals, and local talent serve as volunteer teachers for ASTEP. Each ASTEP experience caters to the needs of the particular community it works in. Every workshop or camp centers on a new theme that challenges the children and the volunteers to find fresh and exciting ways of further developing essential life skills that will help these youths deal with the difficult circumstances that surround them.