STARS Learning Cooperative

 Testimonials

• Our daughter has been a student at STARS for over 10 years, starting in the fourth grade and continuing through her early college years.  The people at STARS have all been incredible teachers, mentors, role models and friends. They excel at meeting the needs of each student in the moment while building long-term trust. By using movement, hands-on work and games, in addition to traditional instruction, they adapt lessons to allow students to learn in whatever way works best for that individual. Without hesitation, we recommend STARS.  Your child will grow, not only with academics, but also with life skills such as time management, interpersonal communication and goal setting.  Stars has  truly been a life saver for our daughter, 

  -E’s mom.

• STARS has been a part of our lives for six years now.  Over that time, my son has grown and changed significantly and the tutors at STARS have always worked to meet him where he is.  His tutors have forged strong connections with him, increased his confidence immeasurably, and have provided support for me as a parent when I have needed it.  Every time my teenage son gets in the car after his tutoring session, he looks at me and says, “Matt is the best.”  And he’s right - Matt is the best.

• Caiden Leavitt was so much more to us than simply a tutor. My daughter struggled to organize her time during her first year at a rigorous university. So when she returned for her sophomore year, Caiden worked with her to prioritize and break the work into manageable steps. This may sound simple, but the situation became more complex because the student was easily overwhelmed while also learning to live alone in a city in a different country during a pandemic. Caiden handled every challenge my daughter presented with patience, kindness, and wisdom. My daughter and I both feel incredibly fortunate to have found Caiden and relied on her for several years. She's an absolute gem!

• I CANNOT say enough about Brenda and her relationship with Mo. she’s has been a godsend to our family. She has consistently met him where he is and is always willing to be creative in her approach. Brenda continually supports me, as the parent, in how to support Mo’s learning. I’m constantly impressed by the resources and tools she has, as they work together. Brenda goes above and beyond in her efforts to work with his classroom teachers and proactively asks them for work and more information when she is guiding him through extra help with homework. In our time with Brenda, Mo went from two grade levels behind to nearly ahead of his grade entering 4th grade. Brenda has even fed us during our kitchen renovations.

• When we first met Ms. Deb my daughter could hardly read. She’s had extra help in school since kindergarten and even had speech therapy long before that. We tried so hard to help her and get her what she needed but as 2nd grade ended it didn’t seem to be working. We started with Ms.Deb and worked with her via zoom twice weekly and WOW is all I can say. My daughter was more calm and confident with her abilities and began to read. In under a year my girl is reading everything and with Ms. Deb’s help she has developed a strong foundation to be able to progress and for the first time she is meeting reading and writing milestones at school. Ms. Deb is nothing short of a miracle worker and I don’t know where we would be without her

-T’s Mom

• My son, H, first began working with Karyn several years ago when he was struggling with reading in elementary school. Not only did Karyn help him strengthen his reading skills, but she also helped him develop confidence in himself as both a reader and a learner. One of the things that sets Karyn apart is her ability to make learning enjoyable. H always looked forward to his sessions, which never felt like work to him, even though we as parents could clearly see how hard he was working and how much he was benefiting from Karyn's instruction. Beyond being an exceptional tutor and teacher, Karyn is a wonderful person who has taken a genuine interest in my children and their success. It has been a pleasure partnering with her and visiting STARS each week. Every member of the STARS team we have encountered has been welcoming, supportive, and truly invested in helping children thrive. I cannot recommend Karyn and STARS highly enough! -Katherine 

• Christine has worked with our son, William, since he was in seventh grade, and she has truly been an important part of his academic journey. Over the years, she has worked side by side with him in virtually every subject and has an incredible ability to meet students where they are. She is knowledgeable, patient, and well versed in the many different platforms and tools students are expected to navigate today. What makes Christine so special, though, goes far beyond academics. She takes the time to really get to know her students and builds a genuine connection with them. She has helped William develop executive functioning skills, learn to use an agenda, advocate for himself, manage disappointment when things do not go as planned, and most importantly, learn from his mistakes and keep moving forward.

  Now, as William prepares to graduate from high school and head to college, it is hard to imagine this chapter of his life without Christine. She has become not only a trusted educator, but also a confidant and steady source of support for him. We are incredibly grateful for the role she has played in helping him grow into a more confident, independent student. He will miss her tremendously next year, and so will we.

• We reached out to Stars when our daughter was a Sophomore in high school . She was juggling the demands of a rigorous academic schedule combined with being a dual sport athlete. Even though our daughter was a competent advocate for herself and understood her academic weaknesses well , managing it all felt overwhelming at times. Christine became an important part of our daughter’s support system . What began in high school continued throughout all 4 years of college as she continued to balance academics with being a college athlete .

  Christine has a remarkable way about her that fosters independence while also asking all the right questions to get students to arrive at their own conclusions . She helps students to reframe assignments and break what might seem as an overwhelming task into manageable steps . The skills she learned through her work with Christine continue to have an impact on her personally and professionally . We will always be grateful that Christine and STARS were part of her successful journey .