Step Up is a peer mentoring and student retention program provided free of charge by Detroit Mercy and facilitated by the Institute. Each semester, approximately 250 students from five local schools (Loyola High School, University of Detroit Jesuit High School, Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, Hamtramck High School, and Bishop Foley Catholic High School) participate in eight-week sessions of:
- Balancing life as a high school student
- Reducing aggression
- Stress management
- Studying skills
- Social media awareness
- Leadership development
- Reducing prejudice
- Alcohol and other drug awareness
- Promoting positive alternatives
With funding from the Ford Motor Company Fund, these sessions are facilitated and organized by student volunteers in the Emerging Leaders Program and student athletes and are part of the service learning component of social psychology and leadership courses. (PYC 2600, LEAD 2000 and LEAD 4000). In addition, 200 middle school students have participated in Leadership workshops that were led by high school students as they "paid forward" their lessons learned from our Detroit Mercy students. .