About Us
Mission Statement
The purpose of this non-profit organization is to provide free education and tutoring services to neurodivergent children in the local community; to increase interest in robotics by providing free summer camps and after school programs, attending Lego Robotics tournaments with the neurodivergent children; and to provide opportunities for high schoolers to serve the community.
Our Story So Far
S.T.A.R. was founded in April 2024 in Albany, CA, recognizing a gap in available free, specialized educational resources for neurodivergent students in our local community.
Our Inspiration
The story of S.T.A.R. started in 2023. After Covid, our neighbor kid Kyle had a hard time in school. He was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia. Kyle was facing challenges in his academic growth and his parents were overwhelmed with the stress without enough tangible resources of help. He, as most kids with ADHD or dyslexia, has special talent which is hand-working skill. The idea came that we started Lego Robotics camp to introduce him to robotics and STEM. One high schooler in our team grew up with frustration of ADHD, and he read lots of books about how to deal with ADHD. As a results, he is very motivated to use what he learned to help the kids who had same challenges. One summer camp turned out to be a great success. We formed an NPO and continue doing summer camp, robotics club, and tutoring program. .
Our Goals
Our goal is to help more kids with neurodivergence or challenges, and to build a supporting community.
Robotics
The First Lego League (FLL) is an exciting international robotics competition designed for kids ages 9 to 12 years old. It encourages young learners to explore science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on activities. In this competition, participants work in teams to build and program LEGO robots to complete a series of real-world themed missions on a challenge board.
To take part successfully, children should have some previous experience with block coding, as programming plays an important role in guiding the robots to perform tasks accurately. Beyond technical skills, the competition also helps kids develop teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity, making it both a fun and educational experience.
Tutoring
Our tutoring program is free and run by high school volunteers. During the school year, parents can sign up elementary to middle school children for tutoring on any subject.