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• <br /> STARS Program, Ft. Meyers, Florida 21. <br /> In response to burgeoning crime and violence, the city of Ft. Meyers <br /> used city and HUD funding to develop a comprehensive program aimed at <br /> amelioration of the problem by providing assistance to at-risk youth. The <br /> program, Success Through Academic and Recreational Support (STARS), <br /> targets youth ages 11 - 14 as well as their families. <br /> Supported by numerous area organizations and based around a new, <br /> $4.5 million recreation center in the minority neighborhood, the STARS program <br /> features a wide variety of programs ranging from Little League and athletic <br /> activities, to instruction in the arts and computers, to tutoring in basic skills, to <br /> drug treatment. One feature of the program is the Youth Enrichment Corps • <br /> initiated by the city Police Department to employ and train youths 16 - 20 while <br /> working on community projects. According to Nancy Campbell, director of the <br /> Ft. Meyers Parks and Recreation department (personal communication, 1995), <br /> since starting the program in 1991, the city has experienced nearly a 27 <br /> percent decrease in violent crimes caused by youth. Campbell estimated that <br /> programming costs for the STARS program averaged $158.00 per participant, <br /> per year. <br /> The foregoing examples demonstrate that it is possible to make headway <br /> against the rising tide of youth crime and violence. Creativity, sensitivity, and a <br /> broad base of involvement seem to be key to success in these programs. • <br />