The UP™ Program - Unleashing Potential, Passion, and Purpose

At Kokomo Urban Outreach, we believe every young person deserves the tools and confidence to build a successful future.

Empowering Youth to Grow and Thrive

Serving more than 275 youth ages 3–18, UP™ provides structured, hands-on opportunities where kids learn by doing real work in the real world.
Adults provide the tools and instruction. Kids step UP™ to do the work — and futures change.

How It Works

Work One Night Each Week
UP™ Program youth ages 10–18 work one evening per week as part of an UP™ Crew, completing meaningful, community-focused jobs that match their abilities and interests. Through real work, kids learn responsibility, teamwork, and pride in effort.

Huddle — Weekly Group Mentoring
Every Wednesday, students gather for Huddle, a group mentoring session focused on life skills, leadership, communication, and real-world issues. Huddle is where kids reflect, learn, ask questions, and build accountability alongside caring adults and peers.

Classes — 8-Week Skill Building Sessions
Throughout the year, students participate in 8-week classes focused on life skills, workforce readiness, and hands-on learning. These classes give kids the tools and instruction they need to solve problems and grow in confidence and capability.

At UP™, kids don’t just receive support — they earn it.
Adults provide the tools, instruction, and supervision. Kids do the work that builds their future.

Invest in their future
Volunteer to Change a life
An elderly man with sunglasses and a cap is showing a small plant to two children on a farm. One child, with curly hair, is planting in the soil while the other child is standing nearby. The scene takes place outdoors on a sunny day with trees and a
A young boy wearing safety glasses and a blue jacket holding a small wooden fence in a workshop. The workshop has wood panels on the ceiling, a window, and various tools and materials in the background. The Build Up Fabrication logo is in the bottom
A person in a gray hoodie and black pants is collecting branches and twigs into a large green tarp in an open grassy area with trees and a house in the background. Another person is visible in the background, also gathering branches. There is a logo
Two children mixing dough on a table surrounded by bowls and tools, with a large cardboard box nearby, in a bakery or kitchen setting.
Colorful mesh ribbon wreath with green, purple, and tan loops on a wooden table in an art classroom.
A woman in a red shirt and black shorts standing in an industrial or warehouse setting, holding a water bottle, smiling, with a handrail to her right and shelves of books and boxes around her.
Two boys with excited expressions working on a robotics project at a table, with a Power Up Robotics logo in the bottom right corner.
A young boy in a red shirt and gray shorts watering plants outside near an HVAC unit, with a sign that says "Up Keep" in the bottom right corner.