Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacquinta Nelson.
Jacquinta, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The evolution of STEP Movement is really the story of how one young girl found purpose through stepping and turned that purpose into a movement that now impacts hundreds of youth across Kansas City.
STEP Movement did not begin as a business. It began with adversity. After experiencing multiple school transitions throughout childhood and being wrongfully expelled and forced to repeat the eighth grade in 2007, stepping became an outlet, a source of structure, and a way to find confidence during a difficult season of life. Through Lee A. Tolbert Community Academy and Tolbert Preparatory Academy, stepping became more than an activity. It became a voice, a community, and a pathway to leadership.
The first major chapter of the movement began in 2010 with SWAGG (Sisters Worshipping a Great God), a small step team created to compete in HYPE Fest. What seemed like a simple team eventually planted the seeds for something much larger.
While attending William Jewell College, that passion continued through the co-founding of the Cardinal Steppers. This experience expanded leadership skills and provided opportunities to organize, teach, and build partnerships that would later influence the future of STEP Movement.
Following graduation, a year of service with City Year Kansas City in 2016 led to the creation of the Magnificent 8 and later the Worthy 30. These student groups demonstrated the power of stepping as a tool for engagement, leadership development, and student success. Their growth led to local media attention and helped validate that stepping could be used for more than performance.
The next evolution came during 2017-2018 with the creation of a comprehensive step curriculum at Kauffman School. Known as the Sporty Forty, this group of forty students demonstrated that stepping could be integrated into education and used as a vehicle for storytelling, literacy, teamwork, and character development.
In 2018, the Fantastic Five became the founding members of what officially became STEP Movement, LLC. From those five girls emerged the organization’s three pillars:
1. **STEP Movement** – the community-based step team focused on performance, leadership, sisterhood, and youth development.
2. **Step as a Movement** – a curriculum model that integrates stepping with English Language Arts, physical education, fine arts, and storytelling.
3. **Step with the Movement** – consulting and coaching services that help schools and organizations establish or strengthen their own step programs.
Today, STEP Movement has evolved into a youth development organization that has served more than 888 youth, partnered with over ten schools, earned local and national recognition, secured significant grant funding, and created opportunities for girls to develop confidence, leadership, academic success, and career readiness.
What started as a personal outlet for overcoming hardship has become a platform for helping young people discover their own voices. The evolution of STEP Movement reflects a journey from transition and tragedy to purpose and impact. As stated in the presentation, “Step gave me direction at a time when I felt lost, helping me find my voice, my confidence, and my purpose; today, I use that same art form to empower young girls, create pathways for leadership, and transform futures through STEP Movement, LLC.”
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road, and honestly, the challenges have shaped STEP Movement into what it is today.
One of the biggest struggles has been navigating constant transitions. As an educator, I have worked in multiple schools across Kansas City, and each move meant rebuilding relationships, establishing credibility, and introducing stepping to a new group of students. Every school had a different culture, schedule, budget, and level of support. Just as momentum would begin to build in one place, a transition could require starting over somewhere else.
Membership has also fluctuated over the years. There have been seasons when enrollment grew quickly and families were excited about the program, and there have been seasons when transportation challenges, family obligations, finances, or competing activities caused members to leave. Youth development work is rarely linear. Sometimes you invest years into a student before seeing the full impact of that investment.
Funding has been another challenge. As a community-based organization, there have been times when resources were limited and every performance, fundraiser, sponsorship, and grant opportunity mattered. Building a sustainable organization while keeping programs affordable for families has required creativity, persistence, and faith. The journey has included both successful funding opportunities and moments of uncertainty about how programs would continue.
Another challenge has been introducing Kansas City to stepping as a legitimate art form and educational tool. Many people only associate stepping with fraternities and sororities, while others confuse it with dance styles that are completely different. Historically, the cultural significance, storytelling, discipline, and educational value of stepping are often overlooked or inaccurately explained. A large part of our work has been educating the community about the history of stepping and demonstrating that it can be used to teach leadership, literacy, teamwork, confidence, and self-expression.
Despite these challenges, every obstacle reinforced the mission. What began as a passion for stepping evolved into a movement that has served hundreds of youth, partnered with schools across the region, developed curriculum, earned national recognition, and created opportunities for young people to discover their voice. The road has not been easy, but every setback has contributed to the growth, resilience, and impact of STEP Movement.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about S.T.E.P. Movement, LLC?
STEP Movement, LLC is more than a step team. We are a youth development organization that uses the art of stepping to educate, entertain, and empower young people throughout the Greater Kansas City area.
Our mission is to cultivate youth passion for creativity, collaboration, and community through the art of stepping. While stepping is our vehicle, leadership development, academic success, mentorship, and career exploration are our destination. We specialize in creating spaces where young people can build confidence, develop discipline, strengthen communication skills, and discover their purpose.
What sets STEP Movement apart is our three-pronged approach. First, we operate the region’s only community-based step team for girls ages 8-18, providing performance opportunities, leadership development, and sisterhood. Second, through Step as a Movement, we have developed a curriculum that integrates stepping with literacy, storytelling, physical education, fine arts, and social-emotional learning. This work was inspired by my graduate research exploring how performance art and stepping can improve student comprehension and storytelling skills. Third, through Step with the Movement, we provide consulting and coaching services that help schools, community centers, and organizations establish or strengthen their own step programs.
We are also unique because we intentionally focus on the whole child. Our programming is grounded in academic support, mentorship, community service, and college and career readiness. Whether through tutoring, exposure to HBCUs, volunteer service projects, industry mentors, or entrepreneurship opportunities, we want our participants to leave with more than just step skills.
What I am most proud of is the impact our organization has had on the lives of young people. Since our founding, we have served more than 1,000 youth, partnered with schools and organizations throughout Kansas City, helped students gain confidence and leadership skills, and created pathways to college and career opportunities. We have watched girls who once struggled to find their voice become leaders, mentors, entrepreneurs, college students, and role models in their communities.
At its core, STEP stands for “Supporting Them Express Their Passion.” That philosophy drives every program, performance, workshop, and partnership we create. We are not simply teaching young people how to step. We are helping them discover who they are, what they are capable of, and how they can use their gifts to positively impact the world around them.
Our vision is to bring the world of stepping to Greater Kansas City through education, entertainment, and empowerment. Whether through booking a performance, implementing our curriculum, partnering on youth programming, or launching a step team through our consulting services, we are committed to using this powerful art form to create lasting change in the lives of young people and the communities we serve.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
One thing that surprises many people is that while they may know me as the founder of STEP Movement or as a step coach, a significant portion of my career has actually been dedicated to youth development, education, and entrepreneurship.
For more than a decade, I have worked with young people in various capacities, including the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kansas City, YMCA of Greater Kansas City, Camp Fire Heartland, City Year Kansas City, KIPP Endeavor Academy, Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy, and DeLaSalle High School. My work has always centered on helping young people discover their potential and creating opportunities for them to succeed academically, personally, and professionally.
Many people also don’t realize how much of my journey has been rooted in education and business. I graduated from William Jewell College with a degree in Nonprofit Leadership and minors in Communication and Entrepreneurial Leadership, earned a Master of Education through the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Teach For America, and I am currently pursuing my MBA at William Jewell College.
Along the way, I have had the opportunity to be featured on television, podcasts, newsletters, and publications, including Great Day KC, Voyage KC, The Notice Network, the Teach For America National Newsletter, and the EAG Podcast. I’ve also been recognized as a KC Chamber Small Business Superstar, received a $25,000 Kauffman Foundation Amplify grant for STEP Movement, and earned nominations for Educator of Excellence through SchoolSmartKC and The Bert A. Mayberry Outstanding Educator of the Year Award.
While those accomplishments are meaningful, what matters most to me is that every title, degree, award, and recognition represents an opportunity to create more pathways for young people. Whether I’m teaching entrepreneurship, building a student-run business, mentoring youth, developing curriculum, or leading STEP Movement, my goal remains the same: to use my story, my education, and my experiences to help others realize what is possible for themselves.
At the end of the day, I don’t see myself as just a step coach or educator. I see myself as a youth advocate, entrepreneur, and community builder who happens to use stepping as one of many tools to help transform lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Stepmovement.com
- Instagram: Stepmovement2018
- Facebook: Step Movement llc
- Youtube: Step movement
