ASTEP was conceived by Broadway Musical Director Mary-Mitchell Campbell and Juilliard students to transform the lives of youth using the most powerful tool they had: their art. Today, ASTEP connects performing and visual artists with youth from underserved communities in the U.S. and around the world to awaken their imaginations, foster critical thinking, and help them break the cycle of poverty.

At ASTEP, we are deeply committed to empowering individuals who suffer from an absence of choice, especially children. The right to choose is a fundamental human right, and we strive to end the poverty that robs us of that humanity. The performing and visual arts create a unique safe space to rediscover choice.

We see every day how access to the arts gives children vital skills that can be used in school and in their personal lives. They become better communicators, build their confidence to participate, and learn how to solve problems by thinking outside the box. Most importantly, the arts show each child that their voice is important.
There is infinite possibility in that belief.

ASTEP partners with schools and community organizations that serve vulnerable populations: youth affected by immigration status, homelessness, gun-violence, incarceration, the justice system, HIV/AIDS, systemic poverty, and the caste system. We craft a variety of unique program models that best fit the needs of our partner’s student population, working collaboratively within existing structures. This approach means that we are complementing our partners’ goals, ensuring the needs of the whole child are met. Practically speaking, this means that all ASTEP programs look vastly different from one another.

Through after-school workshops and summer camps, ASTEP Volunteer Teaching Artists strive to use the performing and visual arts as a vehicle for teaching students social and emotional and self-regulatory skill sets—each program achieves that mission in various ways and to varying degrees of measured success.

The quality of the artists who volunteer with ASTEP uniquely positions us among other arts education nonprofits. Our Volunteer Teaching Artists are highly successful Broadway performers, professional artists, or students and faculty from schools such as Juilliard, offering a variety of disciplines such as dance, visual art, music, and drama. They become transformative role models in the lives of the youth we serve, combining their passion for the arts and their ability to use artistic tools to teach important life skills.