Care
Our Chapters
The foundation of PASTA is our chapter model. Each chapter is made up of 4-6 middle or high school students and is completely run by the students. Every year, each chapter completes at least 4 of their own projects and they come together to plan the PASTA-Wide project at the end. This model emphasizes the importance of an organized chapter structure where each member has a role: Leader, Secretary, Historian, and Treasurer. What makes us unique is how we let chapters choose their own projects based on their passions. By basing their projects on their skills and interests, chapter members are able to better serve the community!
Chapter Projects
Each PASTA chapter completes individual projects throughout the years. Here are some highlights.
Classes 4 Kids
During a 6 week program at INMED, members of chapter 101 gave free guitar lessons to kids. This was a fun way to spend time with kids while also helping them learn a new skill.
Secret Santa at INMED
Some children don’t always have the luxury to get presents for the holidays, so chapters 119,120, and 121 hosted PASTA’s annual Secret Santa. Each member got a gift for a child and everyone had a fun evening opening presents together.
STEM Project
Some of our members worked to host a STEM activity day at INMED and the Sterling Library. The chapters developed and organized multiple stations with engaging and educational scientific activities. Different chapters took turns hosting this event, including chapters 107, 120, 122, and 123.
Signature Programs
What we are known for. This is how PASTA consistently serves our communities around the country.
Nothing's ImPASTAble
PASTA provides free tutoring/mentoring through our Nothing’s ImPASTAble program. We match 3rd-6th graders with a high school tutor. All tutors have been approved, trained, and equipped with a tutoring success kit. The kit contains supplies for tutors to effectively work with their student, and was designed in conjunction with elementary teachers. The goal is to have the tutor/student pair meet over an extended period, weekly, so that a relationship is established. All sessions occur in public locations. Due to COVID-19, sessions are currently held virtually.
Families in Crisis
PASTA provides support to those families undergoing a crisis. Our main focus is on providing free mentorship, tutoring, babysitting, friendship programs, requested items, or tribute programs. We have been contacted in the past for house fires, childhood illnesses, parent illness support for their kids, loss of family members, and impending homelessness.
PASTA-Wide Projects
Each year, every chapter comes together to contribute to a large-scale project. These have been the most memorable to us.
Father Daughter Dance
The Sugarland Father Daughter Dance was PASTA’s first end of the year event. Our chapters worked to make decorations and raffle baskets, organize the events for the day, and advertise at the school. The little girls had a great time dressing up and having a fun evening dancing, taking pictures, and playing games with their dads and families!
Passion Fair
Hosting the Passion Fair was a fun and exciting opportunity for our members to meet and interact with children. Our goal was to inspire kids to develop a passion for different types of hobbies. Each chapter created a booth centered around a hobby and helped the children learn new skills. We had activities from magic and painting booths to ones teaching kids to how to play the guitar or make healthy snacks.
Family Field Day
We organized this end of the year event to give kids a chance to bond with their families while doing fun, engaging activities. Chapters thought of ideas, gathered supplies, and tested each activity before the event. While the kids had a great time doing cool things like relay races and dancing, we enjoyed doing these activities and talking to children too. We make sure that kids and PASTA members both always take away something from every project we do!
Eagleville
Watch what happens when you pair high school mentors with twenty 4th and 5th graders, provide a little paint, and let their creativity take over. Eagleville is born- a village made of ten unique businesses where the kids picked their store name, built their businesses, supplied their inventory, set their prices, and prepared for Market Day- where their classmates used “beak bucks” to shop at their stores!
