The Starfish Foundation
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Our Impact

 

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Our Goals

We want to provide education and support services that help at-risk youth in Guayaquil’s neighborhood of Flor de Bastión improve school attendance, improve grades, increase parent involvement, and return to the program the following years until students graduate from secondary school.

Long-term, we want to ensure that at-risk Ecuadorian youth achieve a post-secondary education.

 
I believe that if we know about something, we’re responsible to do something.
— Beth Mayr and Jenn Zocco, Co-Founders

Our Initiatives

The primary initiatives of Starfish are a scholarship program, a tutoring program, and leadership development.

Starfish also addresses factors limiting student achievement: access to technology, behavioral problems/issues at home, and hunger. Starfish offers Internet, computers, and printing services to help students submit/complete homework online; delivers counseling/parent involvement programs with its staff psychologist; and provides nutritious snacks at tutoring sessions. Other supplemental programs that benefit students and their families include the following:

  • An improved professional development program

  • New parent programs such as monthly "School for Parents" sessions

  • Celebrations such as an annual talent show and Christmas party

  • Purchasing and distributing uniforms, backpacks and school supplies

  • Psychological services for individuals and families, including bi-monthly groups

 
 

100%

of students we worked with stayed in school and are re-enrolled for the coming academic year! 

 

Read the latest annual report.

 
 
 

68 students received a scholarship in the 2021-2022 school year.

 
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OUR RESULTS


Starfish has focused on student academic grades and critical thinking.


 
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EVALUATION

In the 2021-2022 school year, 68% of our students earned an A or B average at school.

Since its inception, Starfish has seen continual increase in its key impact metrics. Starfish evaluates its success by examining:

  1. Students’ academic grades in school

  2. Program attendance

  3. Number of returning students

  4. Number of scholarship applicants each year

ATTENDANCE RATE

Starfish has experienced exceptional student program attendance, with a rate of 86% or higher since the 2013-2014 school year.


...And we're not slowing down.