What Is STAR?
Beginning in the spring of 2007, Success Through Active Role-modeling, or STAR, was created by a group of Navarro County businessmen with the intent to recruit and train role models to support local high school students. By tapping into the talents and interests of other local businessmen and women, STAR hopes to recruit role models who will support a student's interest and noted aptitude in any field or endeavor by encouraging them to successfully navigate a pre designed educational plan, the completion of high school, and the pursuit of additional training and/or education to improve and enhance that student's quality of life.
In order to pursue their mission, STAR formed a partnership with Corsicana ISD to test their idea by providing role models for high school students. At this time, a new program was also being implemented at CHS called AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination. You can read more about the AVID program here.
Both STAR board members and CHS administrators see great potential for role models to work with AVID students. There is a great opportunity for STAR to grow alongside of AVID, and eventually, even expand to other school districts within Navarro County.
CHS has agreed to help with qualified testing to determine each student's aptitude and interest and work in cooperation with STAR, so that role models can be matched to students based on those criteria.
Testing began in the fall of 2007, and STAR began recruiting local role models who exemplified character, credibility, honesty, and integrity of the highest level. They are successful individuals who can relate their real life experiences to students in a manner that students are able to understand and learn from.
Before role models are partnered with students, interviews with STAR officials are done, background checks are completed, and training is provided by STAR and Corsicana ISD on establishing relationships, building self-esteem, and communicating with teenagers.
Role models are not tutors, but men and women who can provide a student positive, factual, and demonstrated experience in an area of the student's aptitude, interest, or both that the student, with parental consent and counsel, wishes to pursue.
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