Step Up! Girls, funded by the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services, began in February 2008.  Currently, twenty-two girls, ages 14-17, are registered with the program which meets twice weekly.  In April, 10 girls traveled with Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity on a five day college tour, visiting thirteen colleges.  Other activities include life skills development, academic assistance, employment assistance, among others.  Step Up! Girls is modeled from the White Plains Youth Bureau’s Step Up! Boys, a program which is being duplicated by many communities.

Ms. Miller offered the challenge to the girls to use a $500 donation to raise additional funds and decide on a charity to donate the proceeds.  The girls chose the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Hurricane Relief Efforts for Haiti as the recipients of the donation.

Step Up! Girls held a fashion show that featured local designers, Lou Torres-Gardner, Zebulon Crawford and Tara deVere.  The models, many of who was Step Up! Girls themselves were likened to the best of the models on television series “American Next Top Model” and the designers to the best of “Project Runway.”  “The audience of over 100 was enthralled and awed by the professionalism and expertise of the young people, both the models and designers,” said Miller.

The girls raised $3000, between the two events. Proceeds from both events will be split amongst the two charities. 

Donations are still being accepted and checks should be made payable to the Thomas H. Slater Center/Big Give, and sent to 2 Fisher Court, White Plains, NY 10601.

Donors may also drop off non-perishable donations and items for the hurricane relief efforts for Haiti at the Center.

For more information on the Step Up! Girls program, please contact Martha Leonard or Naiyma Ford at (914) 948-6211 and/or mloeonard@slatercenter.net, nford@slatercenter.net.