The Network for Serious Teens and Adults Acting Responsibly
STAAR
The STAAR Process, a leadership and character-building process, was created in 1984 to enhance the quality of the lives of youth and adults through academic, cultural and personal enrichment.
STAAR, Serious Teens and Adults Acting Responsibly, started with a small group of youth and adults in Hardeeville, South Carolina. It expanded and was replicated in 14 states and Africa among diverse youth.
Origins
TASC - Taxpayers' Advocacy and Support Coalition was a nonprofit community based group in Jasper County created to educate and provide resources for the impoverished community. The volunteers conducted leadership training classes, after-school tutoring, adult literacy, voter education and anything needed to uplift the people. In partnership with a teenage prevention program, Veronica Primus, Ida Polite and Louise Frazier started a youth leadership program. Originally, it was named STAR-Southern Teens Acting Responsibly, but evolved due to replication in states beyond the south.
The Save the Children foundation came in and funded expansion of the program. Veronica Primus, an educator, formalized the program with a curriculum, rules and procedures for members. Veronica included the youth in all decision making and the actual writing of the rules.
Proof of effectiveness came early when as a teacher of students with special needs in Hardeeville, Veronica presented the concept to her students who were predominantly boys in middle school. These African American boys were so excited to have this opportunity to prove they were capable of achieving academic success, they recruited others to the "club". Eventually, STAR grew into a major organization in Jasper County.
Research Base
The role of character and leadership building has been proven to have a significant impact on academic achievement. As a result of a study on in-school and out-of-school factors that influence academic achievement,(Clark, 2002) Dr. Reginald Clark presented evidence that low-achieving students spend more unstructured leisure time out of school than high-achieving students. “Unstructured leisure activities include, but are not limited to, hanging out and playing, talking on the phone, playing video games, using the computer for fun, playing board games, watching television or movies, listening to music, attending sports events, resting, or relaxing.”
…better readers spent more out-of-school time involved in powerful, high-impact (highyield), language-enriched activities that promote successful acquisition and expansion of developmentally appropriate reading skills.
These activities included:
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Weekly time dialoguing with adults, youth club enrichment activities, hobby and volunteer activities, organized sports, and educational television.
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Regular study/homework routines, often with adult or peer monitoring and support.
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Reading and writing practices in the home, sometimes including composing text on the computer.
The Curriculum
STAAR Spirit is the operative curriculum for the national organization, The Network for Serious Teens and Adults Acting Responsibly. The purpose of the curriculum is to structure a “ process for positive youth development emphasizing character and leadership” that can be implemented within diverse settings including schools, communities, churches, homes, etc. Thorough preparation of the implementers, trainers, teachers and/or coaches is emphasized as essential to the successful implementation of the STAAR process.
The process –
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begins with self-development, self-awareness assessments, introspective processes, character and leadership building
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progresses to personal achievements, community responsibility, civic participation, service learning
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ultimately evolves into an appreciation for cultural diversity, global awareness and civic participation that supports economic growth and social justice in communities