Fort Wayne Community Schools
Harrison Hill Elementary will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Students and Teachers Achieving Real Success (S.T.A.R.S.) program at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 24, at the school, 355 Cornell Circle.
S.T.A.R.S. began in the 1997-98 school year when then-Principal Mary Lowery saw the need for a program to support a specific group of students by teaching them to be productive, responsible citizens. She reached out to the community and found financial support from K. Robert Ehrman, who continued to fund the program through an endowment managed by the Foellinger Foundation.
Students in the program learned the core values of respect, responsibility, self-respect, self-control, valuing oneself and valuing others. Their mentors help them learn how to navigate being successful in school, including finding positive solutions to issues they may be facing, being a positive role model and listener, checking in with the students’ teachers to determine if any early interventions are needed and more. A mentor can teach a student to react appropriately in difficult situations by using their words and not their fists.
Over the years, hundreds of students have participated in the program with positive results. Students involved – both past and present – are invited to attend the celebration on May 24. Among those attending will be one of the first S.T.A.R.S. students, who will speak to the current S.T.A.R.S. members.