Artists Striving To End Poverty (ASTEP) connects established and emerging artists with underserved youth to use the arts as a tool to foster creativity, teach life skills, and awaken young people's imaginations. ASTEP builds a child's capacity for self expression and inspires youth to develop the skills they need inside and outside the classroom. Since 2003, ASTEP has partnered with established community organizations to deliver after-school, holiday, and summer programs that are grounded in arts education. What makes ASTEP programming unique is our commitment to the holistic development of children—our art programs enhance both academic and social learning objectives. Each program centers on social issues that are explored through various artistic mediums such as drama, dance, visual art, instrumental music, and creative writing. Social issues that ASTEP address include teen pregnancy, substance abuse, gang violence, and gender equality.