Testimonials
Read some of our testimonials:
STEP UP! has stayed with me over time because of the general principles it teaches — it changed my thinking. When I was faced with basic, everyday decisions it impacted how I handled them. It’s a great program that establishes the right thinking patterns — especially for freshmen — it sets them on the right track, it can realign their values and beliefs. It’s a great awareness program.
— Male Student-Athlete, The University of Arizona
From the beginning the STEP UP! to Academics presentation was more interesting than I had expected. I’ve never thought about being a bystander with academics before and it’s true – we can make a difference! It certainly gave me a new perspective on academic misconduct; there is a lot more to it than you hear about from your professors at the beginning of every semester. It is also very interesting to compare it to athletics and discover that the qualities we pride ourselves in possessing as elite athletes should be the very same ones that allow us to have success in school and in life in general. It really was an informative presentation.
— Female student-athlete, University of Arizona
The STEP UP! Program provides students with the conceptual framework and the tools to make a positive difference by intervening in both emergency and non emergency situations common to athletics teams (and other groups), including hazing, substance abuse, and personal health and well-being, where their influence can lead to a better outcome for those involved. The STEP UP! Program would be a valuable addition to any institution's programming, and the Pac-10 Conference supports this effort to enhance the leadership ability of our student-athletes.
— Chris Dawson, Associate Comissioner - Olympic Sports and Student-Athlete Programs, Pacific-10 Conference
I was originally attracted to the STEP UP! program because it includes research-based practices such as social norms clarification and skill building. Because it is a "ready to go" program that includes PowerPoint slides, DVD clips, audience response technology questions, and facilitator and participant manuals we were able to implement the program very quickly. I was encouraged to "make the program my own" and therefore have been able to modify slides and change pictures to tailor STEP UP! for our campus. I encourage other prevention professionals to use this program — the price is unbeatable and the material is comprehensive and sound!
— Amy Kiger, Office of Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention, University of Central Missouri
About a year after I completed my STEP UP! training I found myself in an unfamiliar situation. One of my best friends was in a verbally abusive relationship. Her boyfriend would frequently make her feel badly about herself and make her feel like everyone around her felt the same way. After several months of witnessing this behavior, I recognized it was starting to affect other aspects of her life. This is when I chose to approach her about her relationship and make sure she was okay. I quickly realized that this was not the case as she began to share how she was truly feeling. I was able to refer her to the STEP UP! handbook and offer my assistance in finding her help with the situation. My STEP UP! training helped me detect that my friend was not okay and allowed me to approach her in a way that would make her responsive and accepting of the help I offered her. STEP UP! gave me the skills and confidence I needed to ensure I was doing the right thing in helping out my friend. It taught me how to effectively handle the situation.
— Female Student-Athlete, The University of Arizona
I never had the confidence or knowledge to try to step up and help [teammates] with their situations. I was always afraid that I might make the situation worse or lose the friendship... After being a part of the STEP UP! program I can see that I am not the only one that feels like this. I know now that the next time I am put into a situation that I will intervene with confidence and knowledge.
— Female Student-Athlete, The University of Virginia
We at the Gordie Foundation plan to pilot STEP UP! with our local Circle of Trust peer-education chapters this coming spring. Hopefully next fall, we will have it up and running so that we can implement it at all 150+ Circle of Trust chapters nationwide! We were so excited to hear your presentation at APPLE in San Diego, and we know there is tremendous value in your program. Thank you and your colleagues so much for the hard work and dedication you have put in to creating STEP UP! It is something we see helping tremendously with hazing intervention as well as empowering students to curtail dangerous binge drinking, which are major action items for us.
— Brooks Powell, The Gordie Foundation
Our team in Health Promotion & Preventive Services here at The University of Arizona Campus Health Service has been very impressed. The STEP UP! program opens a dialog with students that says, "We can't improve health and safety on this campus without your help." Inspiring students with the skills that let them be the change they — and we all — want to see has great potential. We are looking forward to working with the STEP UP! curriculum to deliver a comprehensive violence prevention program here at The University of Arizona.
— David Salafsky, MPH, Campus Health Service, The University of Arizona
Much of the research out there currently says bystander intervention is one of the best forms of prevention concerning violence prevention. The University of Arizona along with the BACCHUS Network and the NCAA to put together a training on Bystander Intervention called STEP UP! This training is amazing and we here at the University have purchased it and have worked on it to fit our campus needs. It was extremely inexpensive - only about $15!! I have used this training with my peer educators as well as Greek students. They are very receptive to the information and really want to know more about it.
— Jenny Rabas, Prevention Specialist - University of Central Missouri
The STEP UP! program is a holistic approach to teaching students about the importance of intervention. I have used it to initiate discussions with our fraternity and sorority members regarding hazing prevention and the need to ‘STEP UP’ in order to eradicate hazing. The curriculum and videos are something the students can really relate to and use in any situation. I highly recommend it for all populations.
— Johanne Jensen, Senior Program Director for Fraternity & Sorority Programs, The University of Arizona
