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The Steele Family Foundation
The Steele Family Foundation

Our Partnerships

Working together

Different strengths.
Shared purpose.

Our partnerships bring together educational institutions, community organisations and businesses with a shared interest in helping people thrive. Together, we connect learning, personal guidance and practical experience with opportunities for the future.

Created by The Steele Family Foundation, the WISE Scholarship Program™ is part of this shared effort. Our network brings together program partners, educational institutions, philanthropic organisations and businesses—each contributing in a different way.

Learning with purpose

Opening doors.
Building futures.

University relationships connect co-op experience, campus exploration and preparation for further study. Each offers a distinct way for learners to consider and pursue their next step.

Stacey and Michael Steele pictured together
Stacey and Michael Steele
Connecting education with community impact.

Co-op learning with community impact

University of Waterloo

Our partnership with the University of Waterloo connects students’ skills with the needs of charities and non-profit organisations. Through Change Makers in Co-op, Foundation funding helps remove financial barriers to meaningful work experiences. In June 2026, Waterloo announced our $1 million commitment to expand the program in Canada and internationally, building on the pilot launched in 2022.

From refugee education in Thailand to community projects elsewhere, these placements connect practical learning with service.

$1 millioncommitted in 2026 to expand
Change Makers in Co-op
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Mentorship and a university scholarship pathway

California Lutheran University

Through the WISE Scholarship Program™, California Lutheran University helps selected high-school students prepare for higher education through mentorship, career guidance and early-college experiences. Students who meet the program’s benchmarks can earn a four-year Cal Lutheran scholarship, with additional support for housing and meals. Announced in 2026, the partnership connects sustained preparation during secondary school with a defined opportunity for the next stage of learning.

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Campus experiences and education pathways

Grand Canyon University

Grand Canyon University helps WISE participants connect educational goals with experiences of campus life, service and career exploration. The Foundation announced a formal partnership in late 2025, linking WISE pathways with campus support. Subsequent visits have included a college basketball outing for scholars from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale and Grace Sober Living. The relationship also includes CityServe activities, connecting practical learning with community service.

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College exploration and preparation

Occidental College

Our September 2026 partnership announcement with Occidental College opens opportunities for WISE scholars to explore college life and prepare for their next step. Planned activities include campus visits, admissions programming, application support and college preparation. Together, these opportunities are intended to help scholars understand their choices, ask informed questions and approach the transition from secondary school to higher education with greater confidence.

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WISE in the community

Where potential
meets personal support.

These organisations bring WISE into communities where young people and adults already learn, build relationships and work towards their goals.

Wellness, service and WISE scholar development

just keep livin Foundation

Our partnership with the just keep livin Foundation connects students with WISE’s Earn to Learn approach, combining academic progress, extracurricular activities and experiences beyond the classroom. The first JKL/WISE cohort at Animo Inglewood Charter High School was announced in 2024. Through after-school activities, college exploration, volunteering and career experiences, scholars connect their interests with future goals, supported by the Foundation’s established focus on fitness, wellness and nutrition.

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Leadership and community participation

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale gives WISE scholars a familiar community in which to build leadership skills, explore careers and take part in service. Through opportunities such as the Keystone Teen Leadership Program, participants connect their program commitments with practical experiences. Our published updates follow this work through community volunteering, campus outings and a scholar’s participation in the National Keystone Conference, bringing future planning into everyday club life.

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Learning and opportunity for adults in recovery

Grace Sober Living

Grace Sober Living adapts the WISE approach for adults rebuilding their lives in recovery, connecting life skills, personal and spiritual development, and community service with further education. In March 2026, we celebrated the first U.S. graduating class of WISE scholars at Grace Sober Living after 18 months of commitment. The partnership with Grace Sober Living and the Walker Family brings education and recovery together through consistent guidance and a practical pathway forward.

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Arts training and educational opportunity

Debbie Allen Dance Academy

The Debbie Allen Dance Academy connects its professional arts training with the WISE framework, supporting students as they develop discipline, creativity and performance skills. In September 2026, the Foundation welcomed new WISE scholars from the Academy. The relationship brings mentorship, educational resources and future planning alongside the dedication students already demonstrate in dance, helping them consider further education and career possibilities as they develop their talents.

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Education and wellbeing for young athletes

Texas Rangers Youth Academy

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy connects young athletes with WISE’s education, mentorship and personal development opportunities. New Academy scholars joined WISE in September 2026, building on a relationship that brings athletic commitment together with academic and career goals. The Foundation also served as a presenting sponsor of the Rangers’ Power of Us Summit, supporting conversations about mental health, resilience and connection for student-athletes.

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Philanthropy and shared purpose

Relationships
that reach further.

Our relationships connect education, personal development and philanthropy, with contributions ranging from charitable support to grantmaking infrastructure.

Non-formal education and youth development

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

Michael and Stacey Steele’s support for The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award through the World Fellowship began in 2018. Their contribution has included the Award’s work in India and digital platforms designed to make participation more accessible. This relationship reflects a shared commitment to learning beyond the classroom, where young people develop skills, contribute to their communities and build confidence through purposeful experiences.

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Education and youth opportunity

Andrea Bocelli Foundation

A shared commitment to education and youth opportunity connects the Foundation with the Andrea Bocelli Foundation. In April 2025, Andrea Bocelli and Veronica Berti dedicated a space at ABF’s GlobaLab headquarters in Florence to The Steele Family Foundation and WISE. GlobaLab helps young people develop transferable skills, confidence and direction, reflecting our common belief in supporting talents and opening pathways for the future.

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Grantmaking support through CAF America

Charities Aid Foundation

Through CAF America, Charities Aid Foundation’s U.S. organisation, grants help sustain the full-time WISE Scholarship Administrators who guide participants at partner sites. This support strengthens the consistent, personal guidance at the heart of WISE, helping participants stay engaged with their learning and future goals. CAF America also recognised The Steele Family Foundation and the WISE Scholarship Program™ with its 2024 Excellence in International Philanthropy Award.

Visit CAF America (opens in a new tab)Our recognition

Meaningful progress brings people together around a shared belief: opportunity should reach those who need it most.

See our work in action
Experience beyond the classroom

A closer look at
what comes next.

Workplace experiences and learning platforms help participants connect their interests with practical skills, further study and future opportunities.

Automotive engineering and career exploration

Honda

Honda gives WISE scholars an opportunity to explore automotive manufacturing and engineering through behind-the-scenes job shadowing. These experiences connect classroom subjects with the people, processes and technical skills involved in producing vehicles. By seeing an industrial workplace in action, scholars can ask questions about different occupations and consider how interests in science, technology and engineering might shape their own education and career choices.

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Technology learning through service

Cox Communications

Cox Communications connects WISE scholars with practical technology learning through projects involving 3D-printed prosthetic arms. Through this work, participants explore how design and engineering can respond to another person’s needs. The collaboration gives students a concrete setting in which to connect technical interests with community service, bringing together creativity, problem-solving and the purpose behind the things they learn to build.

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Hospitality and small-business learning

Prince Lebanese Grill

Prince Lebanese Grill offers WISE participants a close look at restaurant operations and the work of running a local business. In 2025, scholar Agustin explored his ambition to open an affordable family restaurant by learning directly from owner Aziz Kobty. This experience connected a personal career goal with practical lessons in entrepreneurship, customer service, hard work and hospitality, showing how job shadowing can make future plans more tangible.

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Learning content within the WISE Portal

McCoy

McCoy supports the learning content available through the WISE Portal, connecting activities and responses with each participant’s profile. Its integration helps participants continue their learning while keeping a record of progress. For the WISE team, that connection between content, participation and completion provides a clearer view of engagement and helps inform the personal guidance that accompanies a scholar’s educational development.

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Career exploration and workforce pathways

Obra Jobs

Obra Jobs brings career opportunities into the WISE experience, connecting participant profiles with possibilities across employment, internships, trades and the wider workforce. The platform supports the move from understanding personal interests and strengths to exploring practical next steps. Within WISE, this relationship helps give career planning a concrete focus, allowing participants to consider available opportunities alongside the education, experience and preparation their goals may require.

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A wider circle of support

Many perspectives.
More possibilities.

Organisations also featured in the WISE network bring perspectives from the arts, health, education and community philanthropy. Their roles vary, from documented Foundation support and shared events to wider network connections.

Creative spaces for teens

Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers

Solid Rock gives teens a supportive space to explore music, dance, art and vocational interests. The Foundation’s April–June 2025 update records support for the organisation at the opening of its Goodyear location.

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Support for children and young people

Shania Twain Foundation

The Shania Twain Foundation funds community organisations serving vulnerable children and young people. Its work focuses on helping local organisations provide support and opportunities for young people who face barriers in their lives and communities.

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Health technology and community wellbeing

HEAL Group

HEAL Group invests in health technology businesses serving patients, practitioners and pharmacists. WISE’s February 2026 updates record sponsorship of the Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party & Brain Health Summit alongside HEAL Access, one of the group’s operating brands.

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Care for children and families

Phoenix Children’s Hospital

Phoenix Children’s provides specialist care for children and their families. At the Gainey Gives Back event in April 2025, the Foundation contributed $10,000 to support the hospital’s work, continuing its commitment to children’s health and wellbeing.

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Brain science and lifelong wellbeing

Alberta Family Wellness Initiative

The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative connects research on brain development with policy and practice. A Palix Foundation initiative, it helps bring scientific knowledge into conversations about healthy development and the conditions that support wellbeing throughout life.

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Education and career development resources

Human eSources

Human eSources develops assessments and interactive learning resources for education and career development. Its work helps people explore their strengths, consider possible directions and connect greater self-understanding with decisions about learning and work.

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Child protection and care

Childhelp

Childhelp works in child abuse prevention, intervention and treatment. The organisation supports children affected by abuse and provides resources intended to strengthen their safety and care, bringing attention to the needs of vulnerable children and families.

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International education opportunities

International Students Foundation (ISF) – Türkiye

International Students Foundation connects Turkish students with scholarships and university opportunities abroad. The Foundation’s 2023 partnership update identified ISF among its developing WISE alliances, reflecting a shared interest in expanding access to education across borders.

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Community philanthropy

Gainey Ranch Golf Club Charities

Gainey Ranch Golf Club Charities is a charitable organisation associated with the club community. The Foundation’s published updates record gatherings at Gainey Ranch Golf Club, including WISE Influencer events and support for Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

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The Steele Family Foundation

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