Brandon Twp.- STARS will soon be shining bright here.
That is the hope of two local children’s advocates who are organizing a new free after-school tutoring and reading program for students in grades K-4 who reside in the Sashabaw Meadows and Clarkston Lakes mobile home parks.
STARS (Student Tutoring and Reading Sessions) is a collaborative effort by the township, village, Brandon schools, Brandon Groveland Youth Assistance, Brandon Township Library, and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
‘This will change the face of Brandon,? said Pam Schoemer, director of special education for Brandon Schools. ‘It will help children who didn’t have access (to tutoring programs).?
Schoemer and Phyllis McCaffrey, BGYA caseworker, say the program aims to help students in the densely populated mobile home parks who need assistance with organizational skills, homework and reading. A major advantage is the accessibility of the program, which will be located at the Sashabaw Meadows Clubhouse and be open after school Monday through Thursday until 5:30 p.m. The library has offered use of laptops and books have been donated by BGYA. Snacks will be provided.
Schoemer notes the mobile home parks have more than 1,000 units in a concentrated geographic area. She believes if students have accessibility to a tutoring program, they will come.
‘This way,? adds Phyllis, ‘they don’t have to worry about gas or transportation. It’s a way to reach a lot of kids.?
One-on-one attention from volunteers will be provided to up to 20 students, but McCaffrey said if there are a large number of kids that sign up, they may consider doing alternate days of 20 kids each. Volunteers may include Brandon High School honor students, as well as students from the CHOICES program, and library volunteers.
Schoemer and McCaffrey are also seeking donations and have written numerous grant requests, seeking funding with which to pay a teacher and parapro.
?$2,500 per year would cover the program,? says Schoemer.
Registration for STARS is 8 a.m.-11 a.m., Sept. 18 and 2 p.m.-5 p.m., Sept. 19, at the Sashabaw Meadows Clubhouse. The program begins the week of Sept. 27.
‘This is very exciting, one of the most exciting endeavors I’ve been involved in,? says Schoemer, who has previously worked in an after-school program. Some of the benefits she has seen to such a program include an increase in students? self-esteem, as well as improved reading, math and writing skills.
She also notes the benefits extend beyond the students in the program, keeping teen volunteers out of trouble in the at-risk after school hours, as well as giving them community service hours; and even benefitting the siblings of students who teach what they have learned.
‘Teaching one child ripples out to the whole community,? Schoemer said. ‘We’re targeting K-4 because they need the building blocks. Literacy impacts everything else. We want them to know they’re bright and capable. We want them to be able to say, ‘This is when I started to believe in myself.? This (program) has the power to impact so many families in so many ways.?
For details, call Schoemer at (248) 627-1855 or McCaffrey at (248) 627-6445.