With support from the California Arts Council, The High Steppers Drill Team, Inc. will expand and deepen our core creative youth development programs, enabling us to further realize our mission of positive, accessible, and equitable programming and social/emotional creative experiences through the unique artistic and cultural mediums of step, drill, and dance.
Our organization supports 3 core programs with wraparound services including, but not limited to, academic awareness and mental health support. Six staff members and 4 teaching artist alumni — all members of the Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) community — oversee and manage The High Steppers programs and day-to-day operations within the organization.
In service of our mission, our organization directly serves approximately 75 young people per year. One of our core programs is our Drill Team, which utilizes the art of military drill technique, dance, and step routines as an access point for creative youth development. Our team of 10-30 participants per semester, ranging from 3 to 17 years old, engages in 2-hour practice sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week during our 16 week-long spring semesters, 4 week summer boot camps, and 12 week fall semesters. Co-Founder and Executive/Artistic Director Charolette Patton-Logan leads the Drill Team program.
Grounded and rooted within their community, The High Steppers have a long-standing tradition of cultivating relationships with community members and service providers working across sectors. Student alumni and graduates from the organization’s programs work alongside The High Steppers Co-Founder and Executive/Artistic Director, Charolette Patton-Logan, as Junior Step Instructors and Step Masters in training.

