If you want to see what tomorrow will be like, look at the young people of today. Unfortunately, many of them are struggling.
STEPS wants to help. We have been developing a program to deliver life skills education to at-risk teenagers in underserved, lower-income communities, and we will begin the first phase of implementation of that project in a local community soon.
Our work to develop practical yet life-changing education to bring help, healing, and hope to hurting youth has shown great promise and gotten heartfelt, positive feedback from teenagers we tested it with. Our next steps are to deliver this life skills training in a class environment, learn from that experience, and then expand the ministry to serve many others.
“Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.” (J. Shipp)
The Needs That Will Be Addressed
In Birmingham, across Alabama, and beyond, there is a growing crisis among disadvantaged youth. These at-risk young people from lower-income families and underserved communities face immense challenges including substance abuse, mental health disorders, academic struggles, and a lack of positive role models. Research shows that 90% of substance use disorders begin before the age of 18, and 75% of high school students will try, use, or abuse addictive substances.
In areas like Ensley, Fairfield, northeast Birmingham, and others, the situation is dire, as youth are not only contending with personal struggles but also the harsh realities of socioeconomic disadvantages, peer pressure, and few available options to help them make progress. This is where STEPS Ministries steps in. Our program is designed to help address these issues by providing life skills education that focuses on emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and personal wellness. By helping teens develop practical skills that will help them live more effectively, STEPS aims to help prevent the escalation of mental health issues and substance abuse and create a pathway for these young people to take intentional, positive steps forward to thrive.
“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” (Franklin D. Roosevelt)
Robert’s Story: Who We Will Serve
Take the story of Robert, a high school junior from an underserved neighborhood in Birmingham. Robert lives with his single mother and three siblings. Like many teens in his situation, he feels disconnected from school and church, struggles with peer pressure, and has started using substances like marijuana and alcohol to try to cope with the stress of his life.
Despite his outward circumstances, Robert deeply yearns for a better future. He wants to break free from his negative situation but doesn’t know where to start or whom to turn to for guidance. Robert represents youth we will serve through this STEPS program. Like many young people in his community, he needs more than academic support on school-oriented topics; he also needs to learn practical life skills that will equip him to make positive choices and envision a brighter future.
“All kids need is a little help, a little hope, and someone who believes in them.” (Magic Johnson)
How the Education is Being Built
STEPS Ministries focuses on creating education that resonates with the specific needs of disadvantaged youth. Our 18-lesson curriculum is researched and holistic and will cover emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and personal wellness. Each lesson is designed around relevant topics that are engaging and applicable to real-life situations. The lessons are being built so they can be delivered in various formats such as face-to-face classes, individual mentoring, collaboration with other organizations, and digital, guided self-study options to ensure they are accessible to as many young people as possible in the future.
The curriculum is organized around five key pillars:
- Spiritual Preparation: Students explore their character, values, and spirituality and learn more about faith and God which provides them with a sense of purpose, direction, and hope.
- Emotional Awareness: Teens learn how to become more self-aware, manage their emotions, cope with anxiety, establish positive feelings on identity, and build emotional resilience.
- Social Connection: Through lessons that promote communication, teamwork, and emotional intelligence, students learn how to form healthy relationships and avoid negative influences.
- Mental Education: Students develop critical thinking and decision-making skills, better learning habits, and how to safely navigate situations and challenges by making positive life choices.
- Personal Steps: These lessons help students set personal goals, develop discipline, and take actionable steps to achieve their desired outcomes and better realize their potential.
The lessons in the curriculum work together holistically to ensure students gradually develop the life skills they need to succeed. Students are taught a proactive, process-like approach to wellness as a methodology and lifestyle that integrate emotional, mental, spiritual, social, and personal well-being. Each lesson helps them understand the Why, What, and How for life improvement and provides practical steps they can take to move in a positive direction.
But this program is more than equipping youth with practical life skills. It is to about bringing help, healing, and hope to hurting teenagers who need a positive vision for the future. And who need people to care for them and believe in them.
“If you work around at-risk teen students, actually tell them you love them and have faith in their success. No one ever tells them that. No one.” (Ace Antonio Hall)
Offering a Life-Changing Curriculum
The curriculum focuses on real-life issues disadvantaged youth face daily. It goes beyond theoretical knowledge and equips students with practical tools they can apply immediately. For example, one lesson may focus on how to handle the stress of peer pressure, while another teaches the importance of building a strong support network of positive influences.
The program emphasizes that personal growth is a journey and every small step—whether it’s learning to communicate more effectively or setting personal goals—contributes to overall success. These lessons are brought alive with techniques such as short videos, worksheets, and interactive exercises. Materials are flexible and can be used in settings including classrooms, churches, community centers, one-on-one mentoring talks, and even on their cell phone or at home.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Learning from Focus Groups and Testing
Before fully implementing the curriculum, STEPS conducted research and focus group testing and taught pilot lessons in Ensley, an underserved area in Birmingham, and other neighborhoods. The feedback was extremely positive, with students expressing strong appreciation for the program’s relevance and practicality. Participants shared comments such as:
“Teaching important life skills will be useful in life, not sugarcoating struggles we face.”
“I am happy people care about our future and want to put their time into us.”
“All of these topics are absolutely useful in some part of your life.”
“I like how the program came in the nick of time in my life.”
“I just love the program.”
The program was rated highly in all areas such as importance (9.6 out of 10) and usefulness (9.4). Participants emphasized the need for more programs like STEPS that offer real solutions to real problems. Based on this feedback, the curriculum has been refined to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of the youth it serves.
Partnering with Renew Birmingham and The Center
STEPS Ministries has built partnerships with local organizations like Renew Birmingham and The Center that share our commitment to empowering youth and strengthening communities. Through these collaborations, STEPS will extend its reach and provide services to a wider audience. Renew Birmingham is revitalizing Ensley by connecting residents to critical resources including education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Through this partnership, STEPS integrates life skills education into Renew Birmingham’s programs, creating a comprehensive support system for families.
The Center provides guidance, funding, and infrastructure, allowing STEPS to build the curriculum and work with Renew Birmingham on its implementation. This collaboration with local organizations enables us to support a consistent presence in the lives of youth, offering them ongoing education and mentorship. These partnerships are critical to the success of this STEPS program as they provide the resources and community connections needed to make a lasting impact.
“The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.” (Albert Schweitzer)
Providing Holistic Wellness-Based Life Skills
One thing that sets STEPS apart from other youth development programs is its holistic approach. While many programs may take a silo-like focus on one area such as academics or addiction-related intervention, STEPS takes a broader and more integrated view of wellness. We recognize that true success in life requires a balance of emotional, mental, spiritual, social, and personal well-being. Our curriculum addresses all these areas and equips students with practical steps they can take.
STEPS aims to help youth live on purpose and fulfill their potential. We expect this curriculum to achieve these outcomes:
- Spiritual understanding: With expanded understanding about faith, God, and values, students find daily encouragement and guidance to help them navigate the life-transforming teen years and develop more hope for their adult future.
- Improved resilience: Students develop self-awareness, form a more positive identity, and learn fundamental skills and tools to better manage their emotions, handle stress, and leverage their strengths each day to improve their lives.
- Stronger relationships: Through learning and exercises on communication, empathy, and teamwork, students develop healthy relationships with peers, family, and mentors that provide social support systems and effective lifestyles.
- Better decision-making: By learning how to think critically and evaluate their choices, students are better equipped to make good decisions, become more productive each day, and build competence that leads to good outcomes.
- Increased confidence: Students see the progress and promise of taking small steps toward goals and gain personal confidence and perseverance in their ability to prevent problems and shape a positive future one step at a time.
By setting realistic goals and taking actionable steps, students will begin to envision a future that is filled with hope and possibility. These outcomes are not only beneficial for the students but also for the communities they live in. To help them get there, STEPS is committed to continuous improvement and regularly gathers feedback from students, teachers, and community partners to refine and enhance the curriculum to ensure the program meets the needs of those we serve.
“Skills enhance our strongest attributes.” (Bill Munn)
The Outcome Will Be Long-Term Impact
STEPS Ministries is well-positioned to make a lasting impact on disadvantaged youth and their communities. Through its holistic approach to wellness-based life skills education, STEPS offers more than just a temporary intervention—it provides the tools and resources young people need to succeed long-term.
The program’s scalability and adaptability make it a sustainable solution for communities across Alabama and beyond. By leveraging digital platforms, STEPS plans to expand its reach, providing life-changing education to youth who might not otherwise have access to such resources. The modular design of the curriculum allows it to be easily adapted for use in different settings, whether in inner-city schools, rural community centers, or through online learning on a cell phone.
STEPS and its partners have a long-term plan. STEPS Ministries will build the education so its impact can be “multiplied” by collaborating and working with other organizations. We will create materials to support these groups, provide support to leaders and organizations to implement the curriculum, and create a train-the-trainer model to help ensure the program continues to grow and impact future generations. This focus on sustainability will allow STEPS to remain a powerful force for change, helping young people like Robert break free from the challenges of their environment and build a better life.
“Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.” (Nelson Mandela)
