Utilizing mentors from the Step Up and Birdies communities for four sessions this fall, the Fly Together program will provide eight hours of mentorship and skill-building support for girls affected by systemic barriers.
"Like Step Up, Birdies believes in shaping and lifting up future generations of women leaders," Step Up CEO Delores Morton said. "We thank Co-Founders Bianca Gates and Marisa Sharkey and all our friends at Birdies for helping us launch Fly Together, and making mentorship and peer support accessible for high school teens everywhere," Step Up CEO Delores Morton said.
The virtual programs will focus on building supportive relationships with peers and mentors, along with identifying and developing social emotional learning skills needed for future career pursuits. With the support of mentors, teens will craft a "Flight Plan" containing actions and strategies that will support their vision of success.
Students who complete Fly Together will be eligible to apply for future Step Up Experienceships, virtual job shadowing opportunities that provide tangible work experience with various host companies.
"Our mission at Birdies is deeply rooted in supporting women of all ages and backgrounds. We are beyond thrilled to continue our partnership with the Step Up organization to uplift and support young women with this enriching mentorship program," said CEO & Co-Founder, Bianca Gates.
"Now more than ever is it important to be a resource for the next generation, and with the Fly Together initiative, we are looking forward to ushering these students into their next chapter, added President & Co-Founder, Marisa Sharkey.
Made possible in part by funding from Birdies, Fly Together will take flight this fall, with applications open for high school girls and gender-expansive teens through October 8. The fall sessions will be held during October, November, and December, with future Fly Together cohorts planned for Spring and Fall 2022.
High school girls and gender-expansive teens interested in applying for Fly Together may complete the application online. To become a mentor or to learn more about Fly Together, please visit the program webpage.
About Birdies
Founded in 2015 by Bianca Gates and Marisa Sharkey after identifying an opportunity in the footwear industry, Birdies was born out of a need for stylish and comfortable shoes to wear both inside and outside the home. The San Francisco-based, direct-to-consumer brand designs stylish flats that feel like slippers thanks to their exclusive cloud-like comfort technology. Birdies is committed to serving as a champion for all women and to building a community centered around inspiring, supporting, and empowering each other through notable product collaborations and ongoing philanthropic efforts. At the heart of every shoe designed, every decision made, and every resource allocated is the deeply-held belief that, with the right support system, women can go everywhere.
About Step Up
Step Up believes all girls should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams of success. By offering free mentorship programs, the nonprofit works with teens facing systemic barriers on becoming confident, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of leaders. Connect at www.suwn.org.
media contacts:
Alissa Zito Cruz
Step Up
alissa@suwn.org | 310.880.9049
Toyin Graham
SHADOW
toyin@weareshadow.com | 917.972.5402
