Welcome to the UP™ Program
Kokomo Urban Outreach
Thank you for scanning the code and taking a moment to learn more about the UP™ Program at Kokomo Urban Outreach. We're excited to introduce you to our mission through the voice of one of our students, Sharkeem Williams.
Sharkeem has been part of the UP™ Program for three years. During that time, we've seen him grow in self-awareness, respect, and emotional control. His story is just one of many powerful examples of the transformation that happens when young people are supported, challenged, and believed in.
The UP™ Program is designed to help kids become self-reliant adults. We do this by teaching:
Life Skills: communication, problem-solving, respect, emotional intelligence, and responsibility.
Education Support: tutoring, mentorship, goal-setting, and accountability.
Work Ethic: hands-on jobs, consistent expectations, and real-world responsibility through our point-based rewards system.
Each week, youth earn points for attendance, respectful behavior, participating in sessions (called Huddle), and completing work opportunities. These points are a currency they can use for essentials and rewards, but more importantly, they are a tool to teach budgeting, decision-making, and long-term thinking.
This program isn’t just about providing for today—it’s about preparing young people for life beyond their circumstances. We believe in making invisible kids visible, and every story, like Sharkeem’s, reminds us why we do this work.
Watch Sharkeem’s video to hear, in his own words, what UP™ means to him.