GVSU-based START Project celebrates 25 years of enhancing educational equity

START is rooted in evidence-based practices and provides educators and network members with resources developed specifically to create a more equitable experience in the classroom for all students.

Carrie Carr, a project consultant with START in the Upper Peninsula, said she tends to use the START website three times per day to find resources to connect her teachers with.

The resources provided by START assisted Paige Tiemeyer, a speech language pathologist in Kent County, with understanding different types of needs for students and for instructors.

"It really helped me to have a framework and understanding for different levels of support and what that looks like," she said. "It's also impacted me [to know] myself and my own support needs and how I can best support students."

START also provides resources for parents of students with autism. Sharene Nathan, who works with Detroit Public Schools and communicates directly with parents, said the resources for parents help the family control the narrative as their child heads into the classroom.

"We're bridging that gap between academics and family life," Nathan said. "It looks different for each [parent], but the main thing is that START works effectively for them."

Shannon Shy, a contractor with START, said one of the most rewarding aspects of the work is the students' reaction to educational empowerment.

"To see the joy that we start creating for the students is just felt by everybody," she said.