Step Together Association Riverside

Step Together Association Riverside is a secular, non-political, and non-profit organization that works with children and adults with special needs. It first started in 1974 as a kindergarten and a diagnostic center by Dr. Wali Merhej. In 1993, the non-profit organization, under the name of FiSTA was founded under decree # 33/AD. In October 2013, Step Together Association Riverside was granted its own Ministerial Decree #1856 as a Center for Therapeutic Education. Step Together is inspired by the educational principles of Rudolf Steiner and is recognized by the international curative education council at Goetheanum (Switzerland).

Today, it is known as Step Together Association for children and adults with diverse disabilities.

Step Together Association is located by the riverside of Mansourieh Al Daishounieh, a mere 15 minutes’ drive from downtown Beirut, a venue that lies amidst a peaceful environmentally protected area, surrounded by trees, mountains and water. It is in this serenity setting that we choose to cater for our student individuals of different needs of all ages.

Our mission aims to improve each of our student’s quality of life through individualized instruction and therapy. Our educational methods are designed to enhance the physical and mental capabilities of our students by helping them improve their social and communication skills, thus giving them the confidence to participate in their local communities.

Step Together Association is inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s ideology and educational methods which are based on the acceptance of the spiritual uniqueness of each human being regardless of his disabilities, religious or racial background. Our curriculum adopts the Rudolf Steiner ideology, which is a system that enables special needs to grow and develop with acceptance and love. It takes into account the academic, physical, emotional, and spiritual uniqueness of each individual and emphasizes artistic activity as integral part to all learning; the successful implementation of Steiner’s education at Step Together Association has resulted in remarkable results and progress of our students.