The
S.T.A.R. Foundation provides the following services to our communities and their
youth:
MENTORING
All
children have the potential to succeed in life and contribute to society. However,
not all children get the support they need to thrive.The word "mentor"
comes from the Greek for "steadfast" and "enduring." Mentoring
is a one-to-one or group relationship that adults develop with one or more young
people to help them develop and succeed.
We provide mentoring to female
youth between the ages of 13 - 18 within the public school systems. During the
mentoring sessions, topics such as: respect, education, sex education (self-respect),
career choices, personal issues, community issues, etc., are discussed. There
are one-on-one mentoring sessions offered to whomever request it.
Consider
the many benefits mentoring offers, including:
•
Improving self-esteem
• Keeping young people in school
• Helping
improve academic skills
• Leading young people to resources they might
not find on their own
• Providing support for new behaviors, attitudes
and ambitions
• Increasing young people's ability to seek and keep jobs
•
Enhancing parenting skills
Research
supports these positive benefits in mentoring relationships; A Procter & Gamble
study showed that of 133 Cincinnati students with mentors:
•
All stayed in school, and their average attendance improved.
• Grade point
averages were almost half a unit higher.
• Seniors were almost three times
more likely to go to college.
• More trusting of parents or guardians
and less likely to lie to them.
Of
400 high school students with mentors who participated in a Louis Harris poll:
•
73 percent said mentors helped them raise their goals and expectations.
•
87 percent went to college or planned to attend college within a year of graduation.
•
59 percent improved their grades.
• 87 percent said they felt some benefit
from their mentoring relationship.
A
Terry Williams and William Kornblum study of 900 children concluded that having
an adult mentor was the most significant factor in keeping teenagers off the streets.
Researchers from Columbia University and the University of Massachusetts found
that young people who overcome poverty to reach college often share a common bond:
a mentor or several mentors.
PREVENTION
EDUCATION
Abstinence
first, Be faithful and Correct and Consistent Condom Use, in that order — are effective strategies
to protect against sexually-transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. The
sex education program promotes sexual abstinence and mutual fidelity with a non-infected
partner as the only 100% effective methods. It is important to emphasize, however,
that abstinence means consistent abstinence, not occasional abstinence, and that
mutual fidelity only works if both partners are faithful and uninfected.
Some
spouses practice mutual fidelity, but their partner does not. In this context,
mutual fidelity is not effective. We live in an imperfect world in which some
people, for many reasons, do not practice abstinence or mutual fidelity. These
people, if they are sexually active, must use condoms to protect themselves. Condoms,
like seat belts, are not 100% effective, but they have been proven beyond any
doubt to be highly effective when used consistently and correctly. Most problems
with condoms are the result of inconsistent and incorrect use.
Education
and communication campaigns are based on the belief that young adults and other
vulnerable target groups deserve to have all the facts so that they can make informed
decisions regarding their reproductive health.
FINE
ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT CONNECTION
Fine
Arts & Entertainment has always been a unifying force, a universal language that connects people, culture
and ideas. For the 13 million "at-risk" young people in this country,
connecting with a mentor, some through fine arts/entertainment, may mean the difference
between a tough life on the streets and a successful future.
Many fine arts/entertainment
industry professionals understand the powerful impact of a mentor, and have themselves
been mentored sometime during their formative and/or professional years. But a
lot of kids and would-be professionals don't have adults in their lives who can
provide the guidance to help them achieve success professionally or in life. These
are the young people who are “at risk” and desperately need a mentor
for guidance in developing positive life strategies. The unique communication
that fine arts/entertainment affords makes it possible to overcome barriers of
class and culture, providing both mentor and mentored with a rewarding experience.
INTERNSHIP
PLACEMENT PROGRAM
Annually, we offer youth an opportunity to work
within various areas of the fine arts/entertainment industry. Students are offered
a paid internship on behalf of the Foundation and the opportunity and experience
to work with:
• Record companies
• Television stations
•
News/broadcasting stations
• Sport organizations (NFL, WNBA, NBL, etc.)
•
Production companies
• Dance studios
• Theater companies
•
Entertainment management companies
• Public relations and marketing firms
These
opportunities are offered to youth between the ages of 16 to 20 whom have demonstrated
self-respect, leadership within their community, above average scholastic achievement
and a high level of maturity.
SCHOLORSHIP
PROGRAM
Coming Soon!
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