STEP Up
Thank you to our sponsors
Secondary Transition to Employment Program (STEP) is a school-to-work transition program for eligible Jeffco Transition Services School students 18-21 years of age.
The program partners with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and takes place at the Denver Federal Center. The program provides students with opportunities to develop social and life skills and focuses on career exploration, work-based learning through unpaid internships, tech skills and overall work readiness.
Students who are the best fit for this program meet the following criteria:
- Have a strong desire to work
- Will actively seek employment after completion of the program
- Want to increase their knowledge and application of computer science
- Are comfortable working in an indoor, integrated environment
- Have interests in science, computers, geology and data entry
- Prefer computer work that can be repetitive in nature
About Us
USGS work
The work that participants undertake is computer- and technology-based and involves, but is not limited to:
- Scanning paper documents into digitized files and folders
- Scanning and editing topographical maps for the USGS Maps Store
- Quality checking the USGS Maps Store's website for broken links and other errors
This work is important to the USGS, as participants digitize information so it is more accessible to scientists and the public. The work also helps to reduce the massive amount of physical storage space being used at the Federal Center.
Location
The classroom and worksites are located within the Denver Federal Center campus.
From USGS partners
Feedback from USGS partners shows the good work STEP Up participants are doing:
Please send my appreciation to the STEP Up students for the wonderful work that they were able to accomplish during the past school year. They prepared and scanned over 700 folders of historic laboratory paperwork. These scanned files are now preserved on our servers and are accessible for use by USGS researchers. These students were a wonderful group to work with.
I would like to emphasize how important is the work that was completed by the STEP Up students. While we have been working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, researchers have accessed almost 300 scanned laboratory paperwork files that we have archived on our servers. From these files, we have compiled digital data for about 16,000 samples, which are being used to support current USGS projects in Nevada and Alaska. Even though we could not go into our offices or collect new samples in the field because of pandemic restrictions, work continues while we have historical data that can be accessed from home.
– Steve Smith
While the school year ended abruptly, our memories of the STEP Up students will not. Each student contributed something unique, and ultimately their contributions will add to the national-scale database of mine features that serves as a foundational layer to earth scientists, academia, private industry, and state and federal governments. It was such a pleasure to have the cheerful group in our building on a routine basis.
Thank you again for providing such a valuable service and experience to our Science Center.
– Carma San Juan
Announcements
STEP Up is looking for more students for the 2024-25 school year.
Please contact Pete Miller at Pete.Miller@jeffco.k12.co.us if you or someone you know would be interested in joining this program.
Calendars
Jeffco school-year calendars:
District Family Calendar 2023-24 · Spanish District Family Calendar 2023-24
District Family Calendar 2024-25 · Spanish District Family Calendar 2-24-24
FAQs
Is STEP Up part of Jeffco Public Schools?
Yes, we are a community-based program under the umbrella of JTS and Jeffco Public Schools.
What does ‘community-based’ mean?
STEP Up is integrated into the community as we work inside the Denver Federal Center. We hold classes inside Building 810 and have worksites throughout the Federal Center campus.
Does the program follow the Jeffco calendar?
Yes, STEP Up follows the same calendar; however, students attend the program Monday through Thursday.
Why does the program not take place on Friday?
All JTS programs do not take place on Friday so students and families can make connections outside of the school district. Open Fridays allow students to attend other programs or find part-time employment that they can transition to once they have exited our program.