The Starfish Foundation

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The Starfish Foundation is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in the USA in 2011, and as an official Ecuadorian non-profit organization in 2016.
The Starfish Foundation provides scholarship, tutoring, and leadership development to youth living in extreme poverty in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
The Starfish Foundation believes in the importance of education as a catalyst for the future success of each student and their communities; thus, it provides scholarships and mentoring to students in financial need who have the drive to continue their studies, despite challenging circumstances.

Mission
To be a premier means for at-risk Ecuadorian youth to achieve a post-secondary education

Vision
A community where underprivileged Latin American youth are empowered to create a better future for themselves through continuing education

Goals
• Short-term goals are to provide education and support services that help at-risk youth in Ecuador’s Guayaquil’s neighborhoods of Guasmo and 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 goals are to ensure that Ecuadorian at-risk youth achieve a post-secondary education.

Our Programs
The Starfish Foundation coordinates three main programs in Flor de Bastión, Guayaquil: scholarship, tutoring, and leadership development for students ages 11 to 18.
• Scholarship: The Starfish Foundation distributes scholarships in the form of all books, uniforms and materials required by the school. Students earn their scholarship based on participation in our tutoring program, motivation to study, and economic need. In order to remain in the scholarship program, all students attend monthly meetings, regularly present their grades, and participate in all other Starfish events and activities.
• Tutoring: The tutoring program aims to empower the students to succeed in school, giving each student a safe space to complete their homework each day. All scholarship students participate in tutoring. Other students from the neighborhood also are invited to participate in tutoring to receive academic help and have the chance to earn a scholarship for the following year.
• Leadership Development: All of our students, to demonstrate their commitment to their studies as well as their social commitment to their community, participate in community service and leadership development workshops. These activities include volunteering at local shelters, cleaning up the community, helping fellow students, and participating in and leading teamwork and leadership activities. Through support and empowerment, our scholars will become the future leaders of their communities.
• Starfish also addresses other factors limiting student achievement: hunger, behavioral problems/issues at home, and access to technology. Starfish provides nutritious snacks at tutoring sessions; delivers counseling/parent involvement programs with its staff psychologist; and offers Internet, computers, and printing services to help students submit/complete homework online.

Jenn Zocco is the Co-Founder and Board President of the Starfish Foundation.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.