STEP-UP History

The first community-housed Outreach Programs at Case Western Reserve University began in 1988 with the creation of Project STEP-UP (Student Tutoring Effort to Promote Utilization of Potential) in partnership with Central and Harry E. Davis Schools under the leadership of Glenn Odenbrett.

Project STEP-UP was named a "Point of Light" by the George H.W. Bush administration in 1994. Founded as an effort to provide CWRU students with opportunities to support the academic achievement and personal development of middle school students, STEP-UP is engaged in the following initiatives for students in grades K-12:

Saturday Tutoring Program (1990)
AmericaReads*AmericaCounts (1996; Federal Work-Study)
The University Circle Literacy Corps which partners with all of the higher education institutions in The Circle (UCLC; 1999)
Alternative Breaks (1999)
United Way Services Community Wrap-Around (2014-2020)
School Improvement Grant (2015-2020)
Education Enrichment Camp (2017)

Under the leadership of Professors Donald Freedheim, PhD and Sandra Russ, PhD, Project STEP-UP provided CWRU students enrolled in the Practicum 338 Youth Development course with opportunities to serve directly with Cleveland children for more than a decade. Field placements were provided for students enrolled in the Teacher Licensure program in partnership with Dr. Phillip Stafford in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Partners providing continuous learning opportunities for CWRU and Greater Cleveland students during the academic year and into the summer are: Cleveland Metropolitan School District; East Cleveland City Schools; Cleveland Public Library; East Cleveland Public Library; East Cleveland Neighborhood Center; Karamu House; and Strengthening Our Students (SOS) at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Sites Served

School Sites (1988 to present)

List of sites served on multiple levels (in/after/summer/campus). Current partner schools are listed in bold text.

Cleveland Metropolitan School District

A.B. Hart School
Adlai Stevenson School
Anton Grdina School
Buhrer Dual Language School
Central – Stokes Academy (1988 until closed)
Citizens Academy Elementary & Middle Schools
Cleveland School of the Arts
Collinwood High School
Daniel E. Morgan School
Dike School of the Arts
Empire CompuTech (until closed)
Euclid Park School
(Frances Payne) Bolton School
George Washington Carver School
Glenville High School
Harry E. Davis School (1988 until closed)
John Hay Campus (all three academies)
Joseph F. Landis School (until closed)
Kenneth Clement Boys’ Leadership
Kentucky School
Lincoln West High School
Marion-Sterling School
Martin Luther King High School
Mary M. Bethune School
MC2STEM High School
Michael R. White STEM School
Mound STEM School
Wade Park School

East Cleveland City Schools

Caledonia School
Chambers School
Kirk Middle School
Rozelle School
Shaw High School
Superior School

Campus and Community Sites

Arts-Inspired Learning
CLiPS Polymer Envoys at CWRU
East Cleveland Neighborhood Center
Education Enrichment Camp at CWRU
El Sistema Arts & Literacy at University Circle UM Church
Governor’s Initiative for Closing The Achievement Gap (CTAG) at CWRU (Glenville and MLK HS)
Harbor Light Shelter
Intergenerational School
JUMP – WANDS (Women Athletes Nurturing Diverse Students) at Glenville Rec Center
Karamu House
Kathryn R. Tyler Neighborhood Center
Lexington Village Learning Center
New Bridge Arts Academy
NYSP at CWRU
Phillis Wheatley Association
Project ACT (CMSD Action for Children in Transition)
Rainey Institute
Strengthening Our Students (SOS) at Emmanuel Baptist Church
YO! (Youth Opportunities) Center (Collinwood, East and Glenville HS students)

Faith-Based Sites

Calvary Presbyterian Church
Interchurch Council of Greater Cleveland
Scranton Road Ministries
St. Malachi’s Catholic Center
University Church of Christ
West Side Catholic Center
Windermere United Methodist Church – East Cleveland