Reese Witherspoon is giving back to teens in her hometown.
The actress, 46, has committed to a multi-year investment in nonprofit Step Up to help brings its mentorship programs to three high schools in Nashville, Tennessee — KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School, LEAD Southeast High School and Stratford STEM Magnet High School — this fall.
“Girls, and those who identify with girlhood, who are enrolled at these schools will be invited to join Step Up for a nine-week curriculum focused on building confidence, developing skills and expanding community, including a special emphasis on financial literacy,” a press release explains.
“Teens will also experience one of Step Up’s signature programs, Explore Pathways, which will take them to visit a local workplace for career exploration and behind-the-scenes inspiration” as part of the program, the release adds.
Talking about the inspiration behind the partnership, Reese Witherspoon says in the release, “I deeply believe in expanding educational opportunities for young women, beyond traditional school curriculums, before they enter the working world.”
“Whether that is a financial education, broadening one’s understanding of workplace opportunities, or the lengthy and nuanced processes of applying to college, it’s truly an honor to get to provide these young women with life-changing tools,” the Academy Award winner adds.
For the actress, businesswoman and mother of three, “mentorship is a key part of empowering the next generation and I feel so lucky to partner with Step Up, an organization committed to ensuring girls, and all who identify with girlhood, have the confidence, capabilities, and community they need to navigate their future.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to create these programs right in my hometown of Nashville and to meet and nurture these young women as they reach their highest potential and fulfil their biggest dreams,” Witherspoon concludes in the release.
This fall’s launch will only be the beginning of Step Up’s planned impact in the Nashville area, where they plan to expand their offerings to more schools and into a mentorship conference, per the release.
Step Up is focused on helping young women aged 14-23 through mentorship, and currently offers in-person programs in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago, as well as virtual support from any location. The company will mark 25 years of service in 2023.
“Step Up is invigorated by the investment and support of Reese Witherspoon, who is committed to the advancement of the next generation of women leaders,” the organization’s CEO, Delores Druilhet Morton, says in the release.