Extend the School Day at Parker-Varney

We are very grateful to Microprojects for supporting the Parker-Varney Elementary School  StarFish Corp this year.  Starfish Corps is City Year’s premier after-school enrichment program.  The Starfish Corps is planned and coordinated by City Year corps members (17-24 year olds) who recruit the children, organize them into teams, plan and lead service projects, implement curriculum, and track accomplishments. Designed for 3^rd-5^th grade students, the program is based on City Year’s belief that you are never too young to serve, and that the path to becoming a citizen leader should begin at a young age. 

Meeting twice per week, students explore the basic building blocks of community and leadership.  The program emphasizes the students’ voice, encouraging them to explore the social factors that influence their community and to express their ideas and feelings about them.  Over the course of a school year, Starfish Corps participants take part in a variety of hands-on learning and service activities related to such topics as “Violence and Peace”, “Environment Awareness,” and “Understanding Poverty”.  

Through these experiences, the Starfish Corps Program seeks to foster participants’ understanding of community, teamwork and how they can make a difference through service. Typical projects include painting peace murals, planting school gardens, raising money for charitable causes, and participating in “National No Name Calling Week.”

At the foundation of all these experiences is a strong emphasis on team.  Throughout the year students learn and serve together in small teams, exploring the qualities that make us unique while forging positive, cooperative relationships.

Five of the six elementary schools that City Year NH serves have partnered with 21^st Century for afterschool programming and StarFish Corps is incorporated into the programming.  The sixth school, Parker-Varney Elementary, does not have any partnership and StarFish Corp is the only source of afterschool programming for the students.  Here, StarFish Corps increases its program days from two to three thanks in large part to the Microprojects funding.

StarFish Corps is designed to:

• Increase students’ understanding of their community and the social factors that influence it
• Promote a caring and compassionate character and an ethic of service
• Strengthen students’ ability to engage in positive relationships
• Reinforce their academic abilities

This year the nine member Parker Varney Team had 28 participants in the program.  Of those 28, 15 were students who were receiving one to one and/or small group tutoring from a corps member during regular school hours.

 At the end of the school year, there is a StarFish Corp Graduation which highlights the group’s activities, and accomplishments. At this year’s Parker Varney ceremony, a parent  spoke to the significant impact of City Year in the life of her 4^th grade student and particular the strength of the StarFish Corp afterschool program.  “My daughter went from a shy young girl who struggled with homework and never asked for help to a confident and outgoing young girl.  She is kinder to her siblings, has made new friends, has a greater appreciation for things around her and has improved her grades.”  Other parents and teachers report that StarFish Corps has the participants excited about coming to school and they are taking more pride in their work.