Every Child has Potential. But Not Every Child has Opportunity.
The UP™ Program equips youth in Howard County, Indiana with the work ethic, life skills, and confidence they need to become self-reliant adults.
Serving more than 300 youth ages 3–18, the UP™ Program gives young people more than support — it gives them purpose.
Through structured, hands-on opportunities, kids learn responsibility, leadership, and work ethic by doing real work in the real world.
Our Story:
In November 2016, Jeff Newton and Deanna Ancil with Kareen Dunn joining a bit later, embarked on a mission to ignite the potential within young men, ages 10-18, through the ManUP initiative – the genesis of the UP™ Program. The resounding success of this endeavor paved the way for StepUP™ for Girls, launched in February 2017, to empower young women with the same core values and life skills.
The UP™ family grew once more in September 2018, with the introduction of MiniUP™, nurturing the youngest members, ages three to nine.
After weathering the storm of the pandemic, the two programs for older kids united, forming the New UP™ Program – an inclusive haven where every child, regardless of gender, age, or ability, can Unleash their Potential (UP™).
The UP™ journey continues, a testament to the unwavering belief in the power of respect, responsibility, reliability, readiness, and the limitless potential within each young heart.
Last June, we transitioned from "Unlimited Potential" to something much more dynamic: "Unleashing Potential" – UP™! We want to show action in helping kids grow, and our tagline, "Unleashing Potential, Passion, and Purpose in kids," captures that spirit perfectly.
