No child on the sidelines.
The Upstream Project removes the barriers — registration fees, equipment, uniforms, instruments, rides — that keep local kids out of sports, music, STEM, and arts programs.
We pay the provider. The kid shows up and joins in.
When cost is the only thing standing between a child and a team, a class, a lesson, or a program, we cover it — paid directly to the league, studio, club, camp, or school. Families never handle the money, and children simply take their place alongside everyone else.
A family raises a hand
A parent, coach, teacher, or partner program lets us know a child wants to participate and cost is in the way.
We cover the gap
Upstream pays the fee, buys the cleats or the trumpet, or arranges the ride — directly with the provider.
The child participates
No special treatment, no sideline. Just a kid on the roster or in the class with their friends, season after season.
Serving children ages 6–17 in Ventura County. Assistance is paid directly to providers; we never distribute cash.
Play is health infrastructure.
Most of what shapes a child's health happens outside a clinic — in the social determinants of health. A spot on a team, in a band, or in a robotics club reaches several of them at once, and the moment many kids drop out is exactly when costs climb out of reach.
Read why we do thisWe asked Ventura County parents what gets in the way.
Our Community Needs Assessment is shaping what we fund first. If you're raising kids in Ventura County, your answers help.
For families