The Striving Toward Academic Recognition and Respect (STARR) Mentor Program is a partnership between MassHousing and the Martin Luther King Elementary School in Dorchester.

Through STARR, MassHousing staff serve as mentors, in-classroom volunteers, tutors and field-trip chaperones to third through fifth grade students. In addition, MassHousing provides financial support for academic enrichment programs.

Started in 1990 at the Quincy Dickerman School, STARR moved to the MLK School in 2009 after the two schools merged. In the 2019-2020 school year, STARR will celebrate its 30th year.

STARR benefits students, teachers and mentors alike.

• Students receive academic support, recognition of their achievements and access to various activities and programs
• Parents gain camaraderie, resources and support, as well as access to events and workshops
• Teachers get in-classroom help and access to much-needed resources and programs
• Mentors benefit from their interactions with students and teachers

"The long-standing success of this program is the result of the unwavering commitment of the mentors," said MassHousing's Patricia Weems, who coordinates S.T.A.R.R. "We work as a dedicated group of mentors who share in the belief that each student has the potential to achieve his or her best."