A Message from the Executive Director

Welcome to STARS, the leader in school-based Student Assistance Program services in Middle Tennessee. At STARS, we help schools tackle tough issues that threaten the emotional, psychological and academic well-being of area students--issues such as substance abuse, violence, bullying, harassment, family conflicts and divorce, loss, grief, and a myriad of other concerns. Through assemblies, classroom presentations, and group or individual counseling sessions, STARS assists schools in preventing and confronting these difficult challenges.

Today STARS serves more than 75 schools and community sites in 10 Middle Tennessee Counties. We are the only agency whose counselors’ offices are in the schools. This ensures that students and teachers can access services when they need it and facilitates communication.  It also means that each STARS Specialist is an integral part of his or her school culture. In addition to school-based programs and services in Middle Tennessee, STARS is an important national resource for training and professional consults. In 2005, more than 50,000 young people were served through STARS services!

All of the programs and services we provide have been substantiated by the latest evidenced-based research. This research proves that social and emotional learning programs have far-reaching effects on students’ academic performance--from better attendance records to more constructive classroom behaviors, to higher grade point averages.

This is why our dedicated staff at STARS constantly sound the following rallying cry to advocates of high stakes testing: “No Emotion Left Behind.”

Rodger Dinwiddie
Executive Director
Center for Youth Issues, Inc. S.T.A.R.S.