STEP UP (Starting Today Empowering Peers through Uniting and Participating) Council is composed of youth and young adults with and without disabilities. . . .
young leaders of tomorrow with and with disabilities
The STEP UP (Starting Today Empowering Peers through Uniting and Participating) Council is composed of youth and young adults with and without disabilities. Council members serve as leaders within their schools, colleges/universities and communities. The Council focuses on issues facing all young people including leadership, self-advocacy, transition, health care, education, employment, bullying and recreation.
11/12/2025
šŗšø The freedoms we enjoy every single day were carried, defended, and held by the hands of the brave.
And the true heroes are the Veterans from every branch
Army
Navy
Marine Corps
Air Force
Coast Guard
National Guard
and newly Space Force.
To every Veteran, whether here with us or in our hearts
We thank you. We honor you. We remember you.
Today and always
Happy Veterans Day.
And from us to you
Thank you for your service. š«”
11/09/2025
Check out our November video for upcoming events!
11/02/2025
Check out our Novermber Newsletter!
10/30/2025
STEP UP members spread Halloween cheer today at USMās annual Eeeeekle Walk community event by passing out candy and helping children enjoy fun carnival games. After serving with smiles, they celebrated together at the Monster Halls Bash with pizza, games, art, and plenty of spooky fun!
Group and select photos by USM student Sarah Meyn! Thank you!!! š
10/29/2025
Reminder about our Halloween party and Service event tomorrow! Canāt wait to see everyone!
Hereās the agenda for our STEP UP Halloween Community Service and Monster Halls Bash!
10/22/2025
Hereās the agenda for our STEP UP Halloween Community Service and Monster Halls Bash!
10/20/2025
Researchers in the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Home and Community-Based Services at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab are looking for people who receive HCBS to pilot test surveys designed to evaluate the person-centeredness of their services. Participants will undergo a brief screening and consent call (Zoom or phone, unpaid) and will complete two or more 10-minute surveys on different aspects of their HCBS (online, via Zoom with a research assistant, or via phone) and will receive a $30 gift card for each completed survey. Participants will complete the same surveys 2 to 9 months later for $40 per completed survey. Participants can complete up to 6 surveys for a total of $200.
Join us on our Pathway Weavers field trip on Tuesday, November 4th for the 2025 Harvest Fest at the Mississippi AG Museum!
10/14/2025
Join us for the STEP UP Monster Halls Bash on October 30th! š
10/14/2025
Register for the upcoming webinars for disabled youth on healthy and safe dating, relationships, and sexual health! These webinars are part of "Our Ride Ahead," a new educational webinar series. Events are free and open to the public, and led by disabled educators with expertise and lived experience. Note minimum age requirements for each webinar. Live captioning and ASL interpretation will be provided. Even if you can't attend live, register to receive a recording after the webinar.
Here is the link if you are interested!
A screening of the dance film Telephone is presented by The Evelyn Gandy Center for Women and Leadership. This will take place on Wednesday October 15th in the Gonzales Auditorium.
10/08/2025
White Cane Day Celebration on October 15th, 2025, honoring the autonomy and equality of the blind and visually impaired community.
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. . . young leaders of tomorrow with and without disabilities
The STEP UP (Starting Today Empowering Peers through Uniting and Participating) Council is composed of youth and young adults with and without disabilities. Council members serve as leaders within their schools, colleges/universities and communities. The Council focuses on issues facing all young people including leadership, self-advocacy, transition, health care, education, employment, bullying and recreation.
We're Starting Today Empowering Peers through Uniting and Participating (STEP UP). STEP UP to Leadership Advisory Council is an inclusive student and community organization through The University of Southern Mississippi's Institute for Disability Studies (IDS). Ranging in age and ability, our members largely represent youth and young adults with and without disabilities in the Pine-belt community. STEP UP Council members serve as leaders and advocates in their schools, colleges, universities and communities though regularly planned inclusive opportunities for community-based service, outreach and advocacy, recreation, leisure and connection to address issues that all young people faceābullying, becoming independent self-advocates, learning about healthcare, building positive relationships, employment, recreation and leadership during the transition to adulthood. Together, we accomplish this through inclusive and fun networking and supportive educational opportunities, service events and social activities, we build life skills together through connections with friends, families, other programs through USM's IDS, the Southern Miss community, with the Pine-belt community, with various organizations and groups statewide, and recently, with our STEP UP affiliates on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and in Mombasa, Kenya.
Each month, STEP UP Council plans a helpful inclusive community service event, a fun social networking opportunity for everyone, outreach, a separate Guys or Ladies Hang-out, and an advocacy activity. Our Guysā and Ladiesā Hang-outs alternate every other month. We'll also have some recurring inclusive community-based recreation, volunteer and learning opportunities, like:
"Tuesdays Together" is weekly community service at the USM Medicine Wheel garden in partnership with USM's Center for American Indian Research and Golden Eagle Inter-tribal Society each Tuesday (weather permitting). During this experience, we'll learn about our connections to our health and wellness through nature and companion planting relationships with native species. Volunteers welcome!
"DMV Study Group" is a weekly study opportunity each Wednesday from 1-3pm during the fall and spring semester for our members that are working toward getting their learning permit and driver license. We will explore MS DMV manual, signs, how to check oil, tire pressure and learn a bit about safety from law enforcement officers. We will not drive during our time together. Volunteers welcome!
"STEP UP Fiber Arts" will meet once a month, members will learn basic stitches to learn how to transform fiber and fabric into something special and useful.
"STEP UP Life Skills Exploration Series" this will be a revolving opportunity for members to identify skills theyād like to explore, including cooking, sewing, gardening, simple construction and hand tool use. Projects will determined by STEP UP membersā interests, and will include the creation of items for personal use or consumption, along with those to share with others through community service as a meaningful way to refine and practice new learned skills and abilities.
If you have any questions, suggestions or cool ideas-- hit me up! You can reach me, Becky McKeehan (IDS Liaison and STEP UP Advisor), at Rebecca.McKeehan@usm.edu, or reach Scott Mullins (STEP UP Co-advisor), at Scott.Mullins@usm.edu, or pop in to visit us on the 4th floor of USMās Bond Hall, at the Institute for Disability Studies, room 429.
