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. Since 2003, ASTEP has partnered with established community organizations to deliver after-school, holiday, and summer programs that are grounded in arts education. ASTEP builds a child's capacity for self expression and inspires youth to develop the skills they need inside and outside the classroom.