STARR Community Services International has been preparing youth to get jobs that have the potential to raise household incomes since it began in 2020.
Katrina Adams is Executive Director of STARR Community Services International, Inc. Adams served for AmeriCorps and it is where she became interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM). She is dedicated to positioning herself to really help her community get prepared for the future.
Adams said STARR Community Services was founded because there was a lack of affordable STEAM and STEM programs in underserved communities. The organization provides out of school programs for students beginning in pre-kindergarten. With STEAM into the Future, students learn how to code through a robotics program. The students also engage in the performing arts and learn effective communication.
“We’re just all about exposure. That exposure really can take you to places, it’ll really open up your horizons and help you see things that you may not normally see in your community.”
Katrina Adams, Executive Director, STARR Community Services International
STARR Community Services also has an astronomy program where students learn about astronomy and astrophysics, which is a partnership between the organization and the University of Chicago. The students attend lectures from astronomers and astrophysicists and are able to look through telescopes.
STARR Community Services’ STEAM-A-GANZA event engages the community and honors the agents — the students — who participate in the program by showcasing their accomplishments. During that event, STARR also informs the community about the importance of STEAM.
STARR Community Services also has robotics teams in Lagos, Nigeria. The organization is looking for volunteers. For more information, visit starrcs.org or email info@starrcs.org.
Article by Tia Carol Jones, originally published April 30, 2025 in The Citizen Newspaper Group.