STEP UP Texas is a project that brings trauma-informed and restorative practices training and implementation support to school districts, law enforcement, and the judicial system toward reducing racial and ethnic disparities in engagement with the juvenile justice system. It is partially funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and is a partnership between The University of Texas at Austin, Williamson County Juvenile Services, and STARRY. Initially funded in 2021, STEP UP Texas began providing training in Williamson County, Texas while also convening a Task Force of community and organizational stakeholders to better understand the local issues and possible solutions. In 2022, STEP UP Texas received additional funding to include implementation support alongside the training and to expand its reach to additional jurisdictions in Texas.

This project is supported by Grants # 2020-JX-FX-K003 & 15PJDP-21-GK-04689-MUMU awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication/program are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice.