Elms College Step Ahead program Go Fit grant will allow for Step Ahead program at Elms College SPRINGFIELD Go FIT, Inc. has received a grant from the Red Sox's organization in Boston to conduct clinics at Elms College for the Quest and Step Forward - Step Ahead Programs. The clinics will be conducted for both middle school age boys and girls. Step Forward is an academic enrichment, cultural appreciation, and fine arts program developed by Elms College for middle school girls and boys who show academic promise. Started in 1993 with 20 girls, the program has grown to include boys as well, and has an enrollment of approximately 190 middle and high school students. Quest is for middle and high school age boys. Participants come from under-served populations and have high academic potential. Go FIT is a non-profit organization that was created to provide health and fitness opportunities to economically underprivileged and underserved youth. The program teaches participants about the benefits of walking and running as a means of promoting health and general welfare. Susan Jaye-Kaplan founded the organization in 2005 and within a very short period of time, Go FIT has been implemented successfully throughout the Pioneer Valley. Step Forward was developed in 1993 with the goals of working to decrease drop-out rates for these participants, foster family involvement in education, offer an incentive alternative to drugs and teenage pregnancy, and prepare participants for success in school and work. The program is year-round and continues working with them until they reach college age. Step Forward provides stability, consistency, and clear boundaries for the students that participate. It places high intellectual and behavioral expectations on its scholars, provides participants with a sense of identity and encourages students to set goals and work to achieve them, building a community of pride among themselves and their families. Go FIT, Inc. was recently awarded a Point of Light Award in national recognition of their efforts to make a commitment to connect Americans through service to help meet critical needs in the community and in the nation, especially those focused on the goals for children and youth set by the Presidents' Summit for America's Future.