About UpGo®
Most people don’t get the LIFE SKILLS education they need
There are millions of organizations doing solid academic education. But where’s the soft skills or life skills education? Most people get very little formal life skills training, and they end up making bad choices — in the way they spend their time, the relationships they make, the substances they put in their body, the life paths they wander down… And these poor choices not only stymie their progress toward success and happiness but also take a toll on their mental well being. Later in life, in reflection they say, “I see it now, but why didn’t anybody tell me this stuff when I was younger?!” And that’s a good question. The bottom line: today, there’s a real lack of formalized life skills training.
UpGo is determined to help fill that life skills education gap. While many adults could benefit too, UpGo is focusing on the younger generations, especially the middle and high school ages. And the first skill addressed is internet safety, because so many families are struggling right now with their kids’ use (or misuse) of technology.
The Solution: UpGo Apps Fill the Education Gaps™
UpGo is an education and technology (edtech) company on a mission to empower today’s youth with life skills. The first life skill in the UpGo offering is Internet Safety. UpGo’s Cyber Safety App [see it here] addresses bullying, cyberbullying, sexting, online predators, social media use, emotions management, good decision making and more. Additional soft skills topics will follow as 3rd-party subject matter experts leverage the UpGo technology platform to easily publish their own content and expertise in an UpGo app to empower today’s youth with life skills.
UpGo is UNIQUE
- LIFE SKILLS: No academic lessons here! UpGo teaches key success-enabling life skills not taught in most schools.
- STUDENT-FOCUSED: UpGo talks right to students (while most other educational products “train the trainer” in the hopes the info will be “passed down”).
- SMARTPHONE-BASED: Learning content is delivered via the only thing young people pay attention to these days — their cell phone! (iPads supported too!)
- VIDEOS: Engaging videos deliver the knowledge (no boring powerpoints!)
- SHORT INFO-CHUNKS: Ideal for busy schedules (and those with short attention spans!).
- CO-LEARNING: UpGo is two apps in one. Adults and students use their linked apps to learn together and discuss key topics for increased connection!
- ACCOUNTABILITY: Parents, teachers or facilitators can assign courses and assessments/ quizzes, as well as view contracts and track progress toward knowledge acquisition.
UpGo’s YOUTH EMPOWERMENT Approach
UpGo teaches youth to fish, rather than giving them a fish, as the saying goes. UpGo believes in today’s youth…believes they can and will make good decisions when given the proper knowledge and training. UpGo helps them learn:
- How to handle new or tough situations.
- How to manage strong emotions.
- How to make thoughtful decisions.
- When, who and how to ask for help.
UpGo’s empowerment-through-education approach can have long-lasting benefits over other methods that spoon-feed or talk down to teens, or are cartoony, or that give scripted responses or a bullet list of do’s and don’ts.
UpGo is not a parental control app or cell phone monitoring software. While there’s a place for that, UpGo’s tack is unique.
UpGo’s approach is education that empowers today’s youth to be confident, safe and prepared!
More Info on the UpGo Cyber Safety App
About the Life Skills Gap and UpGo's Mission
For Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Management Team

Scott Howell, Founder, CEO
Scott founded UpGo to help kids and families. He brings to UpGo more than twenty years experience in cyber security, online information services, and training. Having held GM, VP and senior management roles in both startups and billion dollar companies, Scott leverages his MBA degree and well-rounded experience in three critical functional areas: marketing, sales and product development. Scott is a cyber safety savvy business executive, community and youth group leader, and proud parent of two teenagers. For more UpGo background, check out this UpGo origin story and mission blog post. More on Scott at linkedin.com/in/scotthowell .

Connie Joyce, VP of Student Success
Connie has worked in California public high schools for more than twenty years as an English teacher and now a teacher librarian. She’s trained thousands of students on internet safety, digital citizenship, how to properly evaluate web information sources, and other digital literacy skills vital for the 21st century learner.
Board of Advisors

Kerry Quinn, PhD

Jeff Kleid

Cathy Bognar
School Psychologist, twenty years, Capistrano Unified School District. Dual Masters degrees: Educational Psychology and School Counseling. Pupil Personnel Credential in School Psychology and School Counseling.

Randy R. Stalzer

David Robertson
