Lakeland STARS
College Park Scholars
Lakeland STARS is an academic enrichment program that serves 1st - 6th grade children from Paint Branch Elementary School in College Park, Maryland. Children in the program are matched one-on-one with a volunteer tutor, and they meet each week on a designated day throughout the semester. Lakeland STARS has been part of the Scholars experience since February 1996, and tutoring with the Lakeland STARS program is a rewarding way for College Park Scholars to give back to the community.
One of the goals of the program is to get elementary school-aged children excited about college, so at every session, the tutors provide homework help to the children. The tutors and children also participate in an academic enrichment activity at each session. Examples of enrichment activities include visiting the university's performing arts center, making a clay sculpture, visiting a physics lab and going on a scavenger hunt around the university campus. These activities are designed to give the children a sense of the many resources and opportunities available on campus and to show them that college students have fun too. Tutoring sessions take place at the University of Maryland and Paint Branch Elementary School.
Program Administration and Contacts
The program is coordinated through a partnership between the City of College Park Youth and Family Services and the College Park Scholars program. The city and the Scholars program work together to implement STARS as well as define its vision and objectives and evaluate its impact. The City of College Park Youth and Family Services coordinates children's applications, funds the program and provides administrative support and transportation. The College Park Scholars program recruits tutors, coordinates the day-to-day logistics of the program and provides facilities in which the tutoring and enrichment activities occur.
Peggy Higgins is the point of contact for the City of College Park Youth and Family Services. Her phone number is 301-474-1210.
Ms. Edwards is the point of contact for Paint Branch Elementary School. The phone number there is 301-513-5300.
Lakeland STARS Coordinator:
Tabetha R.H. Mwita
Coordinator for Community Involvement
College Park Scholars
1125 Cumberland Hall
301.314.9013 (x49013)
thohneke@umd.edu
