When Fox Valley leaders saw the data on graduation rates by race (see below), they knew they had a problem. What they didn’t have was a solution. Instead of ignoring the problem they got busy and formed a task force to innovate new approaches to the chronic issue of the racial achievement gap.
After a pilot period, the Boys & Girls Club of the Fox Valley expanded the STAR Program (Scholars on Target to Achieve Results) to high schools and some middle schools in the Appleton and Menasha School Districts, with a STAR Opportunity Coordinator working in each school. That positions them to work one-on-one with African-American and black students who could benefit from the enhanced support and attention.
Learn more about STAR, what a day is like for Opportunity Coordinators, how the work is funded, and how they are tracking results in this interview with Opportunity Coordinators Irineo Medina and Brandon Holmes, and Kayla McNamara, Director of Targeted Support Services at Boys & Girls Club Fox Valley. Call Kayla for more information and to support the program: 750-5828.
