Steppingstone Foundation
Education Unlocks
Economic Opportunity
Financial barriers and lack of resources hold back future leaders.
Education is a powerful tool for breaking the cycle of poverty, yet many students who excel academically aren’t given the opportunity to succeed.
These students often miss out on critical support like tutoring, mentoring, advanced coursework, and scholarships, which are essential for reaching their full potential. The AJA Foundation is committed to bridging this gap by supporting programs that empower deserving students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. By investing in these students, we are fostering future leaders and unlocking broader economic opportunities for entire communities.
Sustaining our Goals
Our goal is to ensure that every student with academic promise, regardless of their financial situation, has access to the resources they need to succeed. Through our education grantmaking, we focus on providing tutoring, mentoring, advanced coursework, and scholarships to students who have demonstrated academic excellence but lack the necessary support to achieve their dreams.
2x income
Low-income students with a bachelor’s degree earn double their family income.
13x likelier
Children of the wealthiest 1% are 13 times more likely to score 1300+ on SAT/ACT.
4x chances
A college degree quadruples the chance of moving from the bottom to the top income quintile.
Our Current Partners
We are proud to partner with organizations that are dedicated to supporting academically promising students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Mentoring is the heart of Dean’s Future Scholars
A homegrown academic outreach program that provides educational opportunities and support for low-income, first-generation college students in Reno, Nevada.
Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust Scholarship Program provides high-achieving orphans and low-income students in Zambia, a pathway to higher education.
Many Chipembele graduates have gone on to careers in conservation, wildlife research, biology, film-making, and the eco-safari business.
