OUR RESPONSE

We continue to provide high-quality wrap-around support to our student-athletes and their families through the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, our support and assistance in Port Chester, Yonkers, and the Bronx are necessary. The COVID-19 pandemic has touched us at the core of our values. We view mentorship and community as vital to adapting in times of uncertainty. We will continue to provide support services and work united with our community partners, families, and advisors to rise up throughout this pandemic.

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expanding our support

​We continue to expand our support within our partner schools through our virtual onboarding process. Prospective student-athletes participate in all parts of our traditional application process virtually including: participation in nomination sessions, completing an online application form, and participating in interviews with STEER staff and board members. In addition to this model adaptation, our advisor team has grown to support our growing student-athlete community. 

Since Summer of 2020, we have welcomed 6 new student-athletes to STEER!

FALL 2020

Soccer Success : Port Chester high school's girl’s varsity team currently hold an 8-0 winning streak in their league. led by steer advisor, coach Danny Alvarado, the team is comprised of 8 steer student-athletes.

College Application Support: STEER's "College Application Fall Bootcamp" is an online course designed to provide expert-level support to our student-athletes and their families throughout the college application process. steer's class of 2021 is comprised of 28 seniors, the largest in program history.

Program Wide Resilience Workshops: Bi-monthly "site visits" bring our three schools together to foster community in a virtual space. featured at each of these meetings is youth development expert, Michael Arterberry. Arterberry guides our student-athletes through discussions and reflections around resiliency.

Continuation of Core Programs: Our student-athletes continue to receive mental skill development through our peak mental game program. Led by Dr. Hector Morales, the Peak Mental Game program provides two live webinars per week, mindfulness guidance, and goal setting support. Our college connections program, led by Chris Bisignano, continues to support college pathway preparation for our students.

Advisor Professional Development: We continue to build our Advisor professional learning community through opportunities to connect and share mentoring best practices. this fall's professional development session featured a keynote address by Dr. Anindya Kundu, author of "The Power of Student Agency."
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Engagement Initiatives: Students have opportunities to engage with the organization through themed events including zoom game nights and social media initiatives such as "rep your school week."

SUMMER 2020

Project Based Learning: Our 2020 program has expanded the ranks of the PC Hunger Fighters, who are continuing their work to combat the issue of food insecurity in the Port Chester community. On August 13th, the Hungers Fighters held their first-ever Farmer's Market at Drew Garden in Port Chester. There, the Hunger Fighters distributed free, fresh produce to community members in collaboration with local vendors.

Stock Market Game: In partnership with One World, STEER student-athletes from Careers in Sports High School and Port Chester High School have joined forces to represent our organization in this summer's "Stock Market Game." STEER students have learned financial literacy and stock market basics. Under One World mentorship, the STEER team has successfully tracked and managed $100,000 worth of stocks, competing against teams from across the world for victory. Our students will receive a financial literacy certificate upon successful completion of the course.
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Career Opportunity Readiness Program (CORP): The STEER CORP aims to provide students with opportunities to explore, identify, and begin pursuing their career paths of interest. Students participate in a course developed by STEER administrators, college interns, and current collegiate student athletes. By the end of the course, students will have identified career interests, networked with active professionals in their chosen fields, and completed a capstone project. These students earn a stipend by participating in this program and completing their capstone project.

SPRING 2020

Mentorship: During this time, mentorship is priceless. Our student-athletes continue to lean on their advisors as trusted support systems ensuring consistent daily contact. In addition to regular communication, all STEER students, advisors, and staff are meeting weekly in groups to provide social emotional support to students and families. Our mentors assist students in coordinating food security, distance learning, and physical/mental health services.

Peak Mental Game: Led by our professional sports psychologist, STEER's PMG curriculum continues to promote student-athletes’ mental resilience during this challenging time. Student athletes have access to various resources that focus on improving mental skills such as concentration, motivation, adaptability, and time management. Weekly counseling from our sports psychologist equips our student-athletes with tools and perspectives to help them navigate the current public health situation.

College Connections: Student-athletes remain on track with college and career readiness progress through online meetings with our College Connections director. Student-athletes continue access to academic prep courses, college application guidance, scholarship support, and assistance with the college athletic recruiting process.

​Beastmode Athletics: STEER partner Beastmode Athletics is providing virtual athletic training for our student-athletes via Zoom. Training sessions occur three times per week and help our student-athletes stay fit, healthy, and well!

Community Resource Connectivity: We have compiled and distributed information on new resources in line with the needs of our student-athletes and their families. We have purposely connected our student-athletes to resources within their community, allowing for greater accessibility to needed services. Community donations have allowed us to directly connect our student-athletes with nutrition and technology support.