Mission Statement
Success Through Adults Reaching Students, or STARS serves eastern Faribault County, Minnesota, including the United South Central School District. It also serves alll of Freeborn County, Minnesota including Albert Lea Area Schools, Glenville-Emmons Schools and Alden-Conger Schools. Our program provides volunteer adult mentors who will meet with their assigned mentee frequently for a year or more to provide friendship, guidance and encouragement. Mentoring is for youth ages 7-17. STARS empowers youth to make positive life choices by providing those in need of guidance and support with a caring adult mentor.
The world is a confusing place. Young people receive mixed messages about tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs , sex and violence from TV and movies, music lyrics, video games, their friends and sometimes even the adults in their lives. They need someone to talk to, someone who will listen and not judge. A mentor is a caring adult friend and role model, someone a young person can trust, enjoy being with and learn from. Mentors and mentees are free to choose safe and wholesome social, recreational and educational activities according to their mutual interests. They might play games, swim, bike, bake cookies, go fishing or visit a library. Mentors help with school work or special projects. Many of STARS mentors have been mentoring the same young person for many years. As trusted friends they are able to introduce their mentees to community resources, activities they might not have tried on their own, and new ways of thinking.
