Introducing: The Starz League Online Afterschool Program 🌟
the most comprehensive virtual afterschool program & community
for neurodivergent, special needs & special-educated children
to learn and develop lifelong social & soft skills that are unmet by the traditional school system!
Let's help your child become more independent, more engaged, and better their opportunities for a full life from the comfort of your home!
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From the desk of: Sydney Chamorro
Eugene, Oregon
Hello! I’m Aidan’s mom, Sydney, and together we have created Starz League to help more families and children with special needs.
For the past 10+ years, I’ve run North Star Pathways, an agency that provides direct support to people who have disabilities in Eugene, Oregon.
I created North Star Pathways when Aidan was 11 in middle school, and there were no after-school programs that would support him.
We were rejected by every single community-based program in our community because of Aidan's behavioral support needs.
He needed some assistance in the bathroom, so that was a barrier placed on him that wasn't his fault.
My company, North star Pathways, specializes in recruiting, hiring, and training direct support staff to work with children who have special needs, and we created a meaningful after-school enrichment program for them too!
We want to expand the work we have done locally with North Star Pathways to help more families across the nation.
Over the past 10 years, we've been helping Aidan become more comfortable with new experiences and helping him with his communication.
Fast forward to today, and Aidan created his first business called Aidan's Joy: a concession cart where he sells the things he loves most - chips, candy, energy drinks & water!
And so through this journey of helping Aidan become a business owner, I wanted to retool how we delivered our services and programs, so more families can help their kids create the skills and confidence to live a full life.
That’s why we have launched Starz League, which is our online after-school program for kids experiencing disability. We’ve taken everything we have learned in the last 10 years of understanding the support needs and challenges and serving kids in our local community and loaded it into an online program that's easy to access for you and your family.
Our goal is to help your child learn important personal, social and work skills and build their confidence so they can embrace what they love most about themselves and live a happy, full life.
It's supposed to be fun for your child and for whoever is working alongside them as well. So instead of feeling stuck and not knowing what to teach, or where to go to get answers, with Starz League it's all done for you so you can find everything you need in one place.
We’ve designed it to be delivered in different formats that will make it more individualized for the kiddo that you are serving - like online programs, dance parties, activity calendars and communication strategies.
My goal with this program is to help you and your family feel less isolated, more supported, and more successful - just as we have helped local families for the last 10 years through North Star Pathways.
Now I'm able to bottle up that same local program and make it accessible to families across the nation, alongside Aidan who is excited to bring his joy to this work as well.
So, I hope in this journey that you find meaning in the types of deliverables that I send to you each month. Hopefully, I’ll get to see your happy face when we have our check-ins because I do want to make this personable and for you to get to know myself and my family too.
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1- Learning Skills
If your child is falling behind in school, they are smart but their school work shows differently, if they hate school, or if your brain works differently to theirs so you have a hard time teaching the new skills, it’s because the school learning system is not designed for individual learning styles and special education is poorly funded. Plus, parents may not know their child's best learning style due to lack of resources or information.
Instead, I have created training avatars to show how to teach to different learning styles. We make learning part of a game or activity so that its FUN, with prizes offered for kids who complete their life learning skill activity at their pace. And we track data points to give back to the parent or caregiver to be able to provide support document on child's strengths.
This means your child feels confident trying new tasks and you as a parent or caregiver can feel more confident about your child's future.
2- Job Skills
Maybe you worry that your child will not be employable or won’t be able to do work that is meaningful to them. Or perhaps your child struggles to finish tasks or chores and you’re afraid they will never become independent. You’re not sure how to plan for your child’s future, and you’re afraid they will have rely on government assistance and live in poverty.
Most community based employers do not offer a specialized training program and most employers do not know how to support someone with a disability in the workplace, plus there are barriers to safe transportation. Not many families know of success stories for kids like theirs. And after leaving school most support systems a family knows are gone and adulthood resources are inadequate.
Instead, we use day to day tasks found in common jobs such as landscaping to help children understand some of the transferable skills needed to succeed.
Each month we investigate a certain common job found in community so that kids understand the value of dreaming big and seeing a work future and parents can help their kids start early with developing job skills that can lead to meaningful employment down the line.
3- Social Skills
Our children can have quirks that can be challenging in new situations, and they can struggle in group settings. It can be hard to go out as a family in a public setting, or socialize with peers
This is because our kids are not often taught the right self expression and advocacy skills to state when something is overwhelming or stressful, and there are not enough outlets outside of therapy to practice these skills in a safe environment. Even special programs are often not staffed to allow for behavior outbursts.
So instead we create engaging activities and supplemental tools that allow kids to learn without feeling like they are being “taught”. We demonstrate low tech social games that can be replicated in different settings and we show kids like them trying an activity and break down the steps to success. Using common monthly celebrations we provide crafts, activities and social opportunities for the child to be successful in the moment
This means your child feels more included in peer activities and they can become more comfortable with community outings, so you as parents can feel more confident going out and the whole family can feel less isolated.
4- Communication Skills
Many special needs school aged children do not know yet how to articulate their needs and wants. And if a child is unable to communicate their thoughts and feelings in a manner that is socially receptive to others, it causes outbursts, misunderstanding or hurt feelings. Even as parents we can struggle to know how to connect with our child.
This communication breakdown happens because our children can get overstimulated and they can have processing challenges. They often feel left out if there are not able to keep up with a conversation.
So instead we teach proven skill sets that have worked for my child and my previous clients that combine alternative methods of communication styles and compassion-based strategies. And using a friendship meetup group children can practice their skills sets with other peers on the platform and then practice in their own community
This way, we can help our kids feel more heard and understood. As parents, we can feel more connected with our children and therefore better understand their struggle. The result is that we can help kids and parents communicate in a healthier, calmer environment where everybody feels clear, heard and understood.
5- Friendship Skills
It can be hard for our children to make & keep friends, so we worry about them not being included - will others love them? Will they be taken advantage of by a peer, or bullied? It can be hard for our kids because they want to make friends but they can’t connect with anyone near them.
This happens because in society and in school children are mostly gathered together based on age, not on their social or emotional level. Our child can struggle to relate to others if they don’t understand slang or sarcasm, and their social skills learning style may be different from their style for learning other skills.
So we teach skills in a more compassionate manner, with activities & games that are designed to be fun for all ages and abilities. These activities help them practice friendship skills in real life situations, and our online platform allows for the children in the program to engage and interact with each other.
This way, our children can feel more connected with their peers, both in your local community and on our online platform, and our previous clients have reported that their children become happier because of this.
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Garrett came to us with significant support needs, including challenges with hygiene and behavior that led to his rejection from traditional afterschool programs. People often kept their distance from him, assuming he couldn't achieve his goals.
Within a few weeks at North Star, Garrett transformed from an isolated middle schooler to a joyful, engaged individual. He became one of our staff's favorite clients, forming connections with friends and finding a safe, loving environment where he felt supported. His family noticed a dramatic improvement in his happiness and sense of belonging.
"The bilingual support and quality of care Dulce received significantly improved her and her mom's quality of life."
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Dulce required high medical support, and her mom struggled to manage her care in their two-story apartment. Our bilingual staff helped Dulce's mom hire trusted care providers, ensuring Dulce received the hygiene care she needed.
This support allowed Dulce's mom to take time for self-care, replenishing her energy to better care for her family. The quality of care Dulce received significantly improved her and her mom's quality of life.
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Elaina, adopted from a Bulgarian orphanage, faced immense challenges including language barriers, medical issues, and a non-traditional upbringing. She had high social, emotional, and mental health needs. We provided her with extensive moral support, peer support, and reassurance, helping her build confidence.
Once we identified her job goal, within 3 months, we helped Elaina secure a volunteer position at Eugene Airport, where she thrived, greeting and meeting new people. Her transformation was so remarkable that she was featured in a local article, highlighting her journey from insecurity to a valued community member.
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Able had severe behavioral issues, including head-banging and constant screaming, which left his pregnant mother stressed and overwhelmed. Our bilingual staff created a daily routine for Able and supported his mom in finding better medications and understanding their use.
With our help, Able now has fewer behavioral issues, and his mom has more time for self-care and caring for her newborn. Able’s days are less traumatic, and his family’s overall well-being has improved.
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Alex, who needed constant supervision due to his spectrum-related barriers, had been sitting at home since COVID-19 started. Our vocational program identified his strengths and kept him occupied, helping him feel successful.
Within a year, Alex trusted us enough to engage fully in his work. We helped him find his dream volunteer position at Bags of Love, where he sorts clothing. This job aligns with his interests and he performs it successfully with the support of our job coaching program.
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Focusing on our 5-step proven system of Learning Skills, Job Skills, Social Skills, Communication Skills and Friendship Skills, we will deliver fun activities to transmit these skills to your children without them feeling like they are "learning".
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Each month we will release a new vocational training program created with the Starz League members' needs in mind to support your child to develop the transferable skills to succeed in life and at work. They'll learn through a video and/or template that you can download and which will support you to know what to do to engage with your child.
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We run online community calls on a weekly basis for members to connect with each other, make friends and practice their new skill sets together, so that they can create more connection and also improve their skills to help them in their local community setting.
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We run online community calls on a weekly basis for members to meet peers in a safe setting, practice their social skills and celebrate their wins in a group format.
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This is an important tool that allows the parents, the learner and the people who support the learner to track their progress, celebrate wins and to help us build a better understanding and more robust program for your child.
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Week 1:
You’ll be able to join in the very next community call after you join, and join every call thereafter
Month 2:
You’ll then receive your next training program in month 2, and a new one every month after that!
✔ Monthly vocational program where your child can learn important transferable life and work skills (VALUE: $497)
✔ Monthly friendship tools, socialization skills, and communication skills for your child to build their confidence (VALUE: $997)
✔ Community calls where members can connect and have fun together online (Value: $497)
✔ Weekly tracker to check in to track progress and keep the child engaged (Value: $197)
Total Value: $2,188
Get All This Today For Only:
$97/month
OR $997/year: Save $167
Monthly vocational program where your child can learn important transferable life and work skills (VALUE: $497)
Monthly friendship tools, socialization skills, and communication skills for your child to build their confidence (VALUE: $997)
Community calls where members can connect and have fun together online (Value: $497)
Weekly tracker to check in to track progress and keep the child engaged (Value: $197)
Monthly vocational program where your child can learn important transferable life and work skills (VALUE: $497)
Monthly friendship tools, socialization skills, and communication skills for your child to build their confidence (VALUE: $997)
Community calls where members can connect and have fun together online (Value: $497)
Weekly tracker to check in to track progress and keep the child engaged (Value: $197)
🤓 Engagement: Your child is engaged with the activity and engaged with the Starz League platform
😎 Success: Your child is building success habits
🤩 Confidence: Your child is seeing a product made and gifting it to somebody AND they're receiving acknowledgement and praise from recipients
🤗 Inclusion: Your child is brought out of isolation into a safe community (in the group and/or on zoom calls). They're practicing friendship in a safe place, with their tribe vs. school
Then click the button below to join:
We offer a 30-day, no questions asked, love it or leave it guarantee! If for whatever reason you're not happy with the program, just email us and we’ll refund you!
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Starz League is an online learning & community program where you and your child can connect with similar families across the nation and the world. It's designed to build important life & social skills for your child in a compassionate way using our 5-step system that we've proven for 10 years in our local after-school and home services agency in Eugene, OR.
We understand life is busy and stressful, and that’s why you can access our concise trainings on demand, at whatever time suits your learner and your family. Whoever supports your child can log in to the platform and receive support to help your child learn these important skills and connect with other members who have similar needs and experiences.
The calls take place every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The calls start at 2.30pm until 3.30pm Pacific time (that’s: 5.30pm - 6.30pm ET). The call times may change depending on the community’s needs. If call times are not suitable, don’t hesitate to reach out to Sydney on [email protected] or 052 5295 25922 so we can try to accommodate your schedule.
Starz League is a monthly membership (kind of like Netflix but better!). You have access as long as you are a paying member. All products that you download are yours to keep.
The investment to join Starz League is only $97/month which is less than $25/week or $5/day - an unbeatable return on happiness for you and your child :) You can also join by paying upfront $997 for the year to save $167.
Consider this an investment in your child’s future. The skills and support they gain from Starz League can open doors for them that you thought would never be possible - even work wise. As a parent to Aidan who is not an easy gift recipient we offer a gift card program so friends and family can help with the cost for birthday/holiday gift giving events
As we continue to add more value and content to the program, the price will likely rise. Lock in the current price by enrolling today.
If you’re the parent or caregiver of a child with developmental and special needs, who wants them to become the most confident, independent, social and happy version of themselves, Starz League is for you. You’ll find not just lessons, but a community of people who share your goals and understand your situation and needs. You are welcome to book a free 15 minute consultation call with Sydney to ask questions.
Absolutely not! Disability acceptance and inclusion are universal! While our live calls may not fit with your day’s schedule since we are based in the US, as we grow our community of Starz League learners we may be able to offer additional live calls in future that fit your family's schedule. However, our on demand products will be available whenever your learner wishes to watch.
We’d love to help you! Please call 052 5295 25922 or email us at [email protected]