STAR Club!!

At Millwood Impact, our mission is to address unmet essential needs for the kids and families in the Millwood and West Valley Community. STAR Club is an after-school program designed to invest in the relationships of 3rd-5th grade students from Orchard Center Elementary School. Trained adult mentors come alongside students twice a week and holistically care for them, which leads to also caring for their entire family. We ran STAR club for a period of time before the pandemic began and in that time, many of the kids who participated in the program grew socially, emotionally and academically. We are excited to kick off STAR Club in a little under 2 months. We are going to do a short 6 week run of the program with Orchard Center with the hope and expectation to carry the momentum into the summer and the fall.

Students are matched with trained adult mentors who are there to care for and help the students become secure in themselves. Students are placed in groups of 4 with one adult mentor and potentially a West Valley High School student as a Jr. Mentor. The students involved in this program rotate through life skill stations like cooking, sewing, crafts, art, & homework help. Studies show that five or more adult mentors involved in a student's life outside their parents gives them a four times higher chance of avoiding at-risk behavior. That's what we are trying to accomplish here at STAR Club. Our goal is to holistically care for these students and their families.

The kids who participate in STAR Club are selected by their teachers, counselors or administrators. Each kid who participates in STAR club is in need of community support. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the boys and girls who participate have behavioral issues or that they have difficult home lives. We place an immense amount of trust in the referring educator, they get to see the kids day in and day out and there are so many reasons a kid might be identified as a good fit for STAR Club. 

Here is a testimonial from The Principal at Orchard Center indicating the impact she recognized in the students who participated in STAR club:

        “Our partnership with STAR Club has had a significant, positive impact on our students who have been fortunate enough to be involved.  Our students have a safe place to go after school and are in an enriching environment where they are exploring new skills such as cooking and sewing and are forming supportive relationships with their fellow STAR Club members and the talented adults who facilitate the program.  We have seen social, emotional and behavioral growth in these children who have become more engaged and excited about learning and therefore are growing academically as a result of their involvement in STAR Club.  Our partnership with STAR Club has truly been a gift to our students and our Orchard Center community!”

So many families are in need of community and don’t have the time and space to seek it out because they are working to provide for their family. At Millwood Impact, we get to introduce strong, kind, and committed volunteers with kids and families through a safe space at STAR club. Our hope is that families can be included in a new way in the Millwood and West Valley community as they take part in this program, building lasting ties that can strengthen families and the community at large.

Here is a testimonial from a grandma of a STAR Club participant: 

“I am very grateful for Star Club. The activities, get-togethers, and learning things like cooking and sewing are a perfect way for my grandkids to evolve and grow within my community. I love the connection and friends my grandkids and myself have made. It's perfect!”

I would like to add that, we are planning to launch STAR club at Ness Elementary in the fall and our hope is to extend STAR club to all the elementary schools in West Valley and Millwood in the near future. If you have any further questions about STAR club or if you are interested in volunteering as a mentor, station leader or any other way, feel free to reach out to Jeremy Clark at jeremy@millwoodimpact.org.