The Starfish Foundation -- Empowering change: one student, one star, one-by-one.

Moving to Wordpress!

2016-03-31T11:22:00.001-05:00

The Starfish Social Media Team is excited to announce that we have officially moved our blog from blogspot to Wordpress!

Click here to access our new Wordpress blog!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2016-03-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

Since its birth several years ago, the aim of Starfish has been, and is today: to instill hope, inspire, and make change- one student at a time. Our movement, rooted in promoting education and development of the whole person in order to open opportunities for youth in Guayaquil, Ecuador- is certainly a grassroots movement. But it's a powerful one. We start small- by securing the education of one student, with the aspiration that they will then be the ones to affect change. Student, family, school, community, world. We begin with the student, and watch our movement grow from there.

And that is exactly the change that we have been blessed to see, time and time again. And it starts with our own scholars.

María Rivadeneira exemplifies the ripple effect of Starfish. A mother of three, including Ariana Sosoranga, a Starfish scholar, María has also been going back to school. María has always encouraged her children to dedicate themselves to their studies, and to never give up on their dreams. Ariana, a top student, completely involves herself in her extracurricular activities, and she assumes the role of a leader both in school and in after school projects here at Starfish. Watching Ariana achieve and succeed, María recognized how important it was for her children to have a role model to look up to, and she wanted to be that example of hard work and perseverance. María never graduated from high school, but took it upon herself to go back to school and complete her studies, with the hopes of eventually becoming a nurse.

After years of sacrificing to support her children and keep them in school, María has achieved her dream, and the one she still carries for her children. She graduated from high school this past Tuesday, March 8, 2016.

But María's education will move even beyond high school.

She scored high enough on her college entrance exam to secure herself a spot to start her university studies right away, with the dream of becoming a nursing assistant and eventually a licensed nurse! María told us that if it weren't for the help Starfish provides Ariana, she wouldn't have had the financial resources or the time to finish her own studies.

María embodies the values of Starfish, and serves as a role model not only for her own children, but for our entire Starfish community. We hope that our organization will continue to reach those beyond its direct impact. In all honesty, it's not really us that's affecting change- it's our students. We put our faith into our students- that they will continue this powerful grassroots movement in inciting change- one by one.

María and her three children

Ariana Sosoranga, a Starfish scholar

Aprendiendo a Expresarnos: The first ever Starfish Debate!

2016-03-03T15:21:00.000-05:00

We will be featuring a series of blog entries from our students, reflecting on the activities at Starfish during the February vacation period. This year the vacation period started one month early due to heavy rain, so we took advantage of that by adding additional academic classes and extra-curricular clubs to our Starfish schedule! Today, some students share about their experience participating in our first ever debate. 4 groups divided to form teams for and against 2 topics: All students should have to wear uniforms to school and all schools should be mixed-genders.

Génesis Rivera:
"What is important, in the debate that Starfish organized, is listening to others, and reciprocally, being listened to. We learned that it is important to debate topics that are truly interesting for us, and for the other side of the debate. My topic was: should all schools be mixed-gender? For us, it's important that they do exist as mixed gender, for that helps us develop our social skills, and we learn how to better interact among different groups of people. With regards to debating, I think it's very important to have debates about topics that are widely disputed between groups of people, but that it's even more important to choose a debate topic that doesn't have a clear solution; in that way, we debate and we hopefully find solutions, or at least justifications for our solutions. The art of debate helps us gain skills in interacting with our own team, and with those opposing our views, and through this, we learn how to dialogue successfully, and respect each others' opinions while simultaneously holding on to our own, and not giving up on a topic we believe in." ~Génesis

"Lo importante es ser escuchado por medio de un debate de Estrellitas del Mar. Aprendemos que es importante debatir en temas que son interesantes para ti y para los demás. Mi tema era de que si debe existir las escuelas mixtas. Para nosotros fue importante porque aprendemos a desarrollar nuestra capacidad de desenvolvimiento interactivo. Es muy importante debatir sobre temas que tu crees que es muy debatido entre personas, pero que no hay solución. Por eso es importante debatir para encontrar soluciones. Te ayuda a interactuar con el equipo contrario y dialogar y aprender mucho más sobre el debate sin rendirse en un tema que tú crees que es necesario." ~Génesis

Luiggi Plúas
"In 2016, we, the Starfish Community, began an activity called "Debate." This process includes defending a specific theme, and participating in groups. I the group that I participated in, we were discussing, why we should not wear uniforms in school. We also had a group that opposed us, who defended why we should wear uniforms in school. My group prepared a Prezi slideshow. The debate went very well, and my group was chosen as the best. The process of debating will help us to further our talents, and enable us to better express ourselves." ~Luiggi

"En este 2016 iniciamos un proceso llamado "Debate". Dicho proceso consiste en defender un tema específico. El grupo en el que yo participaba, estábamos hablando sobre "¿Por qué no deberíamos usar uniformes escolares?" Así que teníamos un equipo contrario, el cuál defendía sobre "¿Por qué sí deberíamos usar uniformes?" Mi grupo preparó una presentación de diapositivos en "Prezi". El debate salió muy bien, además fuimos escogidos como los mejores. Estar debatiendo nos ayudará a desenvolvernos mejor y a expresarnos." ~ Luiggi

Alexander Lícoa
"To debate is to defend a topic given to us. In our debate, I learned to work in a group setting, to express myself clearly and efficiently, to listen, to formulate an opinion, and to respond to questions that the opposite side gives me. Moreover, I learned that, in order to achieve, you have to work as a team!" ~Alexander

"El debate es defender un tema que nos pongan. En el debate aprendí a trabajar en equipo, a expresarme bien, escuchar, opinar y responder a las preguntas que me hacía el lado opuesto. También aprendí muchas cosas especialmente sobre el tema que me tocó. ¡Hay que trabajar en equipo para hacer las cosas bien!" ~ Alexander

Breaking Bread with Aldefa, a guest post by Annalise Deal

2016-02-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

Today we feature a reflection post by Annalise Deal, a sophomore at Boston College studying Theology and English, whose passion for learning Spanish and discovering Latin American culture inspired her to participate in Boston College's Arrupe program. Thank you, Annalise, for your sharing your experience with us!

Breaking Bread with Aldefa

By Annalise Deal

This month, I was fortunate enough to be one of the 150 Boston College students who travelled to Latin America through the Arrupe International Immersion Program. My group of fifteen and I travelled to Puebla, Mexico to participate in a week of service and various immersive activities. We met a lot of people and gathered countless impactful stories along the way, but the story that has stuck with me the most was that of my host mother, Adelfa. For two nights, myself and two other girls stayed with her in her home in the village of Tecuanipan, outside of Puebla city. This is her story.

Born into a family of nine children Adelfa and many of her siblings have struggled with chronic heart failure since they were young. Due to a lack of affordable health care, they have been unable to receive formal treatment. So despite an effort to change their diets, at age 50, she has already lost three of her siblings, and one is currently not doing well. Also due to their poverty growing up, she never finished elementary school because her parents could not afford uniforms or transportation to get her there. She recently finished elementary and middle school at the adult night school in Tecuanipan center. This year, she took a painting class there, and next semester she plans to take basket weaving.

She and her husband Aceuencio have two sons: Edgar and Ivan. Before having Ivan, they lost their first baby, likely because of inadequate neonatal care. Their second son, Ivan, was born with multiple brain tumors, which were removed right after he was born. However, as Adelfa said, “su cabeza no funciona” (“his head doesn’t work”) so he was never able to go to school. Now he has a job in Cholula and seems to be doing alright. Their third son, Edgar, migrated to the U.S. six years ago, when he was only 20. He currently lives in Brooklyn and works as a line cook. Adelfa hasn’t seen him since he left, and when I asked if she has ever considered visiting him she clapped and said “que deportarme así!” (“they would deport me just like that!”) She then tried to convince one of us to move to Brooklyn to find her son and marry him, so that she could have grandchildren and a daughter-in-law who would be willing to move back to Mexico.

Now, Adelfa lives a quiet life with her husband, son, and nephew, in a simple house with a dirt courtyard and a detached kitchen. The have a mule, a horse, countless bunnies and chickens, four adorable dogs, two cats and some doves. Despite all of the tragedy they have gone through as a family Adelfa clings to her Christian faith. Every time we tried to say “gracias,” she would respond, “No, gracias a Dios” (thanks to God). She prays often, loves her bible, and is guided in everything she does by the promise of eternal life which she believes awaits her. Her strength and resilience to come through such a troubled life, and still be so full of joy and constantly cracking jokes was remarkable.

Before we left, our head coordinator Margaret often reminded us of the word “acompañarse” which means to accompany; it is the essence of solidarity. That word is made up of the Spanish words “con pan” or, “with bread,” which comes from the story of the Last Supper. Jesus, in his life and ministry, often showed the power of sharing bread, and this trip really brought that idea to life for me. It is one thing to know what poverty is, or have an intellectual understanding of the immigration crisis. It is a different thing entirely to sit at a small plastic table late at night, laughing together, drinking warm milk and eating fresh, bright pink pan dulce.

I will carry Adelfa’s story with me as I move forward in my college career and beyond, attempting to make some difference in the world. I will remember how she broke bread with us, and in doing so, formed an emotional and spiritual bond that transcends geographic distance. Although our week in Tecuanipan did not reverse the seemingly insurmountable problems the people there face, sharing meals with them reminded us of the value and power of community, which knows no borders.

Spotlight on a scholar: Itaty

2016-02-18T13:00:00.000-05:00

Meet Itaty Morocho, a bright, talented 14 year old Starfish scholar whose determination and hard work has enabled her to reach for, and achieve, her goals.

The oldest of 5, Itaty serves as a motivated, positive role model for her younger siblings. Itaty and her mother are very involved in our community, always willing to devote their time and energy into Starfish, thus entering into the cycle of receiving and giving that we try to cultivate here at Starfish. Itaty is an inspiration to her classmates, her family, and the entire Starfish community! A few months ago, she and Luiggi were nominated to go through a competitive selection process to be on the city-wide student council in Guayaquil (as we elaborated on in a previous blog post: Guayaquil Student Council! ).

And as of recent news, Itaty has been nominated for a prestigious English scholarship! The road to winning the scholarship is long and intense, and Itaty has had to prepare for several interviews and presentations. 70 students from the Guayaquil's school system were chosen to enter into the scholarship contest, and 30 of those original 70 actually receive the scholarship (becado). For the first stage of the scholarship process, Itaty prepared a papelografo, a large poster board, and she also participated in group activities in which all the candidates' skills were evaluated and critiqued. The next phase is a house visit, in which the scholarship committee went to the candidates' homes and conducted an informal interview. A formal interview is the last step in the determination of who receives the scholarships. Best of luck, Itaty!

Update as of February 21, 2016:
Itaty got the scholarship!!!

She will get to study English for three years free of cost at an excellent school sponsored by the U.S. consulate. At the end of the three years she will take an exam that will prove her proficiency in English. March 7, 2016 is her first day of class! Congratulations, Itaty- we are so proud of you.

Updates from Guasmo and Flor

2016-02-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

We've been busy here at Starfish over the past few months, including celebrations for Navidad, vacacionales, community service projects (Melanie P's project was featured on our blog a few weeks ago!), and now our high school seniors are preparing for their graduation, which is only a month away!

Vacacionales - Due to schools altering their schedules because of the weather brought by El Niño, we have altered our format and structure of vacacionales. On Monday and Wednesday of our vacacionales, we implemented academic reinforcement (tutoring, study sessions) and on Tuesdays and Thursdays we introduced clubs! Our choices for clubs include: Manualiadades (Crafts), Dance, Community Service, Sports & Theater.

Our scholars enjoy their new Sports club on Tuesday's and Thursday's (we all know how much they love to play with la pelota, so our Sports club has gained quite the popularity).

As part of our Community Service club, our scholars brainstormed and together, created this definition for community service:

helping others
uniting as one so we can achieve something greater
collaborating with one another
working as a team
everyone striving for one common goal, or objective

After creating our definition of community service, our scholars chose projects based on the needs in the community. Throughout the month, they are completing their projects, with results to be presented at our open house during the last week of February!

Our scholars discuss with each other their plans for their community service project.

Community Service club participant Juliana delivers her "Random Act of Kindness" to Starfish volunteer Cristhian.

Our students prepare for their debate, working on skills such as logic, problem solving, and communication, as part of their after school activities!

In addition to our new extracurricular options, long-term Starfish volunteer and Program Advisor Sanchia along with a co-worker are offering high-quality English classes at Starfish- one class to our Educadores and one class to our top 10 scholarship students - equivalent to what they would get at the prestigious school where Sanchia teaches. Classes are being offered at Starfish for free!

And for some exciting news: Felicidades - Congratulations - to Starfish Scholar Angie! As part of the city's "Jóvenes Ejemplares" program, the top students at each high school are rewarded. The third level of prizes is a bus pass, while Angie reached the second level - a brand new laptop! Congratulations on your success and we are extremely proud of all your hard work, Angie.

Angie with her new laptop!

Cafe Justo: a small coffee cooperative seeking global change

2016-02-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

Through a Boston College program called Arrupe, I went on an immersion trip to Chiapas, Mexico, over Christmas break, a trip filled with intense learning and discovery. Our short week in Mexico gave us a window into a vibrant, beautiful culture, rich in history and tradition. We also learned of the many, many injustices pertaining to immigration, politics, and foreign relations. Our Arrupe group paired with Borderlinks, an organization that promotes awareness and seeks to educate others about the realities of immigration. We had the blessing and honor to hear from the residents of Chiapas- we were welcomed with abrazos abiertos (open arms), and we are grateful to have been touched, pierced, and inspired by the people we met through honest conversation.

We spent the last few days of our trip in a small town called Salvador Urbina, a pueblo known for its coffee cooperative, Café Justo, which seeks to address the economic push factors of immigration by providing fair wages to its laborers. This cooperative eliminates the many "middle men" that play a role in the coffee production. This therefor reduces any unfair wages or scamming, as the profits from the coffee go directly to the workers. The business is entirely owned by the growers in Salvador Urbina, and the coffee is exported to the United States, and even European countries, as our host families proudly informed us.

Café Justo, though seemingly a small cooperative, is, in reality, an essential agent in attacking the root causes of immigration by asking the fundamental question: Why are people willing to leave their home countries, risk their lives, and leave behind their families and communities? The most prevalent answers are: political turmoil, which creates instability and life threatening situations (such as the current state of El Salvador), and economic instability, which creates and perpetuates unfair wages, thus creating an absolute need to leave to find work. Child labor, drug trafficking, human trafficking, assault, and lack of education are sadly only a few of the complicated issues that stem from mass immigration- from people forced to leave their homes because their communities, once safe havens, have become unlivable. In Salvador Urbina, Café Justo is challenging this economic instability by providing income for 42 + families, and by inspiring the youth to stay in school: it gives them hope that they, too, will be able to work for fair pay and provide for their families some day, and be able to take pride in working in their own community.

A long-time employee and "associate" of Cafe Justo hauls a bag of coffee beans.

Genaro plants coffee!

Crossing into Haiti, by Jane Lorenzi

2016-01-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

Today, we feature a post from Jane Lorenzi, a Starfish volunteer, who reflects on her immersion experience in the DR this past winter break.

I recently returned from an 8-day immersion program in the Dominican Republic through IMAP (International Marquette Action Program). Our group, which included 10 Marquette students and four staff members, spent the majority of our time in Dajabón, a bustling town on the Haiti / DR border. We encountered and sought to understand the complex social, economic, political, cultural, and historical realities of living on this border.

Over the next few weeks, I hope to share journal entries and reflections from the experience. The following is a journal entry from 1/12/16, the day we had the opportunity to cross into Haiti.

There is no school today, the teacher told us.

We — the 14 of us, plus our translator Aleibi — are standing in a one-room school for orphaned and abandoned Haitian children.

Why is there no school today (a Tuesday)? we asked, naively curious.

Today is a “holiday,” he replied. Or at least, that’s how our translator interpreted it. The teacher added something else in Creole, and then Aleibi clarified: today is a day of remembrance, he said.

And then it hit us.

The day we crossed over into Haiti marked the sixth anniversary of the devastating earthquake that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and destabilized an already precarious, extremely impoverished state. The significance of the date of our crossing was tragically ironic. Haiti was dangerously vulnerable before the quake, and the natural disaster only highlighted and magnified those vulnerabilities — among them, widespread extreme poverty, inequality, political instability, violence, and corruption, and a history of foreign intervention, occupation, and aid.

It was surreal to see Paul Farmer‘s book on Haiti and my Human Security class lecture literally come to life before our very eyes. This kind of suffering I had only read about in books and articles — and to know that the destitution only grew worse. So many questions whirled through my brain when I saw the MINUSTAH U.N. peacekeeping mission sign outside the police station (hey! we even took a picture with it). The failure of the mission, the cholera epidemic, the militarization of aid, the role of the U.N., the U.S., and the international community, the overwhelming presence of NGOs (they don’t call Haiti a “nation of NGOs” for nothing) … it felt like a living (3-D) version of my midterm paper on reconstruction in Haiti.

My soul cringed as I thought of what this community might equate “white foreigners” to — have we done more damage than good? Pictures of well-to-do U.S., Canadian, and European families dotted the dilapidated wooden shack of a school room. Toddlers waddled around without underwear, exposed to the elements. Small, malnourished young boys continuously begged us for money, pointing to their swollen stomachs and expressing their incredible hunger. One boy even remarked: “I know you have money!” in perfect Spanish (because he had seen us purchase expensive, relatively speaking, artisan products at the school store). Another young boy tried to punch the van as we drove away. There was intense anger and hurt in his eyes — a sentiment reflected in so many of the Haitians we encountered. Unlike most of the Dominicans we met who tend to greet even strangers with a friendly “Buenos” and certain warmth, the Haitians were noticeably disengaged. Few made eye contact, fewer waved back. There seemed to be something clouding their vision, as if they were staring helplessly into oblivion. It was chilling.

I felt even more uncomfortable at the border today than at the binational market. At least at the market, the workers were selling goods and there was actually a chance of us buying something. Parked on la calle internacional (an unpaved road which divides the two countries long ways down the middle), our white passenger van was like an enormous elephant in the room. It really felt like a spectacle this time, and we were an obnoxious imposition to someone’s daily routine.

This is not to degrade the experience in any way. I cling to these feelings and thoughts because I think it is extremely important to do so. I acknowledge the discomfort, the sense of being an imposition… at the same time, recognizing how incredibly valuable that border experience was. I will never be the same. The confrontation with a reality, the intense learning curve, the righteous anger, the thirst for justice, the motivation to seguir adelante. How heart wrenching and transformative it was for me as an individual, who strives for personal growth and always seeks to learn magis, more.

Despite my negative feelings towards certain aspects of the visit, I do wonder: If I don’t stand up for my fellow brothers and sisters — using my voice, education, skills, connections — who will? Not in a selfish way, but more so, how can I use the talents and resources I have been given to empower those who are burdened? (And this could apply to any human being, anywhere.) How can I lessen their burden without arrogantly imposing? I never want to create a culture of dependency. Yet I wonder how to address the dire, basic needs of these people, especially when the state itself is so weak. How do we strengthen institutions and locally-run organizations so that Haitians can help their fellow Haitians? Or, is an outsider needed sometimes to get things moving, to make people pay attention? What are we to “do” with countries like Haiti, when in too many ways it appears and feels broken beyond repair? It’s a constant source of reflection.

And I have no answers.

But I do keep this phrase close: Esos caminos hay que andarlos. These paths/journeys/ways/roads (depends on the translation, which makes the Spanish so beautiful!), you must walk them. Someone must walk these caminos and know these realities.

Amor, Talia

Blog post from our educadores: Bestabeth, Yuliana and Misael

2016-01-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

Values and Morality: Where have they gone?
In today's modern culture, human society has lost many of its morals. Unfortunately, in our worldwide family and education system, morality and values are not taught in schools as they should be.

Currently, our Starfish Foundation has the goal of including these values in its programs, in order to instill a sense of morality and community in the children and young people of our community. Our goal in this work is not only to help form well-educated, cultural, and justice-seeking young students in the classroom, but for the students to go out and apply the moral values that they learn.

Our mission is to guide our students so that they may accomplish goals and objectives, and we hope that they carry these values into their professional work and future careers.

In conclusion, the Starfish Foundation desires that all of its students develop good, positive attitudes that will infiltrate into their professional lives as future men and women.

Do you want to be a part of our Starfish family?

~Betsabeth, Yuliana, Misael~

Betsabeth

Yuliana

Misael

VALORES!!!! ¿Dónde SE HAN IDO?

En nuestros tiempos la sociedad humana ha perdido los valores morales, ya que lamentablemente en el núcleo familiar no se ha dado el aprendizaje debido.

Actualmente nuestra Fundación “ESTRELLITAS DEL MAR” tiene como objetivo inculcarle estos valores a los niños y jóvenes, nuestra labor no solo queda ahí, sino ayudarle a que reflejen lo que están aprendiendo, tanto dentro como fuera de la Fundación.

Nuestra misión es guiar a los chicos para que puedan cumplir sus metas y objetivos, ya sea corto o a largo plazo es decir que lleguen hacer profesionales y que su futuro mejore.

En conclusión la Fundación “ESTRELLITAS DEL MAR” desean que todos los chicos se desarrollen con buenas actitudes tanto moral y como profesional y sean hombres y mujeres de bien.

¿QUIEREN FORMAR PARTE DE NUESTRA FAMILIA “ESTRELLITA”?

A dose of inspiration, for your Thursday

2016-01-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

If you haven't yet met Jane Lorenzi, affectionally known in Ecuador as Thalia, you need to do so ASAP. This incredible Marquette sophomore won the Social Innovation Design contest last year, has traveled to Ecuador to serve with Damien House and Ecuador four years in a row, and is one of the most powerful storytellers I know.

Her blog often captures incredible stories of the children she loves from Umoja, a camp in Baltimore hosted by her alma mater, her experiences with Starfish, where she has lived in homestays and volunteered for several weeks the past two summers, and her journey at Marquette.

Today, we share with you Jane's talk from MarquetteX this past fall. It's a beautiful story of humanity, and one likely to inspire your whole week!

"In small yet significant ways, dialogue helps us to acknowledge the dignity of another human soul, to better understand the needs of our world, and to work for human healing."

Scroll ahead to 1:01:15 if you want to see Jane's presentation!

Student blog post- Melanie's Community Service Project

2016-01-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

The blog post for today comes from Melanie Paz, one of our high school seniors who recently completed a community service project at Starfish. Melanie is an ambitious, dedicated student with a bright future, and we are so proud of her and all she has accomplished!

Melanie's reflection:
For my community service project, I organized a Christmas party for the little brothers, sisters, and other young family members of the Starfish scholarship students in Guasmo.

First, I had to figure out how to finance my project. After thinking about it, I realized that often times, when people have outgrown their clothes, they either throw them away, sell them, or regift them. Therefore, I decided to ask for used clothes from neighbors and others close to me, so that I could sell the clothes and use the money to fund the party. Thankfully, people generously donated their old clothes, and I was able to put on a party for the kids to enjoy. Everyone had a great time, and it was a memorable day for all of us :)

With God's help, and with the assistance of those who helped me by donating their old clothes, everything went well, and the children had a great time! Watching the kids enjoy themselves brought me a lot of joy, and their parents and families came and thanked me, as did Jenn and a few others, and this made me feel proud to have completed my project.

Therefore, with a little effort, through my project, I demonstrated to the directors and members of Starfish that I remain thankful for all of the help that they have offered me throughout the years. Their support enables me to continue growing socially, academically, and spiritually.

Without a doubt, it was a beautiful and unforgettable experience, from which I learned a lot.

~Melanie Paz~

en español:
Realice un fiesta de navidad para los hermanos y sobrinos de los becados y no becados menores de 10 años de la fundación Estrellita del Mar, sede Guasmo.

Para poder financiar mi proyecto, me di cuenta que las personas de hoy en día no utilizan la ropa muy a menudo, la botan, la venden o la regalan, entonces opté por probar con esa idea y pedí ropa usada a personas muy cercanas a mi para así venderlas y sacar fondos para poder realizar la fiesta. Hice que los niños se sientan felices en estas fechas tan significantes para ellos.

Gracias a Dios, y a las personas que me ayudaron salio todo bien, los niños se divirtieron muchísimo, fui tan feliz al ver que ellos disfrutaban tanto de la fiesta. Recibí tantas felicitaciones de los padres de familia, Jenn y demás personas, que me sentí tan orgullosa de haber logrado mi proyecto.

Por lo tanto, Con ese granito de arena, muestro a las directoras y miembros de la fundación que quedo muy agradecida por todo el apoyo que me han brindado para así seguir creciendo en mi vida social, escolar y espiritual.

Sin duda alguna, fue una experiencia muy hermosa e inolvidable. De la cual aprendí mucho.

~Melanie Paz~

Metas para el Año Nuevo= New Years' Resolutions!

2015-12-31T13:00:00.000-05:00

Our students share their resolutions for the 2016! We are so proud of them, especially as they continue to set, and achieve, their goals.

Jerico Acuña:

"My goal for this year is to finish with good grades."
Mi meta para este año es pasar con muy buenas notas.

Arelisa Rodriguez:

"I think that for this year, my goals are: to do well in school, and to conquer problems that life presents me."

Creo que mis metas de este año es transcurrir mi año escolar y superar los problemas que se dan en la vida.

Briggitte Bravo:

"My goal is to be in good health, and to be able to apply myself in my studies."

Estar con salud y poder aplicarme en mis estudios.

Joselin Cevallos:

"My goal for this year is to be able to finish the school year with excellent grades and to be able to continue sharing my time with people whom I love most."

Mi meta para este año es poder terminar con excelentes notas el año lectivo y poder seguir compartiendo con las personas que mas quiero.

Milena Mora:

"My goal for this year is to be able to continue with my studies, and this way, also be able to continue being a scholarship student at the Foundation."

Mi meta para este año es poder continuar con mis estudios y así tmb poder seguir siendo becada en la Fundación.

Ariana Sosoranga:

"My goal for this year is to get good grades and to be able to continue being a Starfish scholarship student."

Mi meta para este año es tener buenas notas y poder seguir siendo una de las becadas de starfish.

Maria Loor:

"My goal for this year is to finish with good grades and to be a top high school graduate, and to spend the year with people who I care about the most."

Mi meta para este año es pasar con buenas notas y ser una buena bachiller y terminar el año con las personas que mas quiero.

Diego Barrezueta:

"My goal for this year is to be able to finish high school, and attend university."

Mi meta para este año es poder terminar el colegio y seguir la universidad.

Jean Carlos:

"My goal for this year is to get good grades in my exams, and to be able to graduate and to start university off on the right foot."

Mi meta para este año es que es sacar buenas notas en mis examenes de grado y asi poder graduarme y comenzar con pie derecho la universidad.

Feliz Navidad!

2015-12-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

To offer a glimpse into our communities in Flor and Guasmo, here is what we've been up to recently!

A few months ago, we introduced a workshop for our educadores, the purpose of which was to cultivate technology and communication skills, thus enhancing our educadores' confidence and abilities in the professional world. We've been continuing these professional development workshops, which have so far been a great success! Furthermore, as we mentioned previously, our new psychologist, Karen, has been creating more workshops, which strive to further inform, educate, and empower our students.

In terms of more exciting news, we recently took the students on a field trip to a water park as a Christmas present! Our bingo event held this past November provided us with these funds, and we and the students are grateful for this opportunity to receive such a gift.

The Advent season, a period of four weeks in preparation for Christmas, is a time of hope, faith, joy, and peace, each theme represented by one candle on the advent wreath. These virtues are visibly present in our students, who continuously demonstrate these beautiful virtues.

Christmas, especially, is a time in which "We must give cheerfully and accept gratefully" (Maya Angelou). Our students bring us hope, faith, joy, and peace, and they teach us how to give and receive with open and happy hearts. We are grateful for our students, our educadores, and all of the support we receive in the forms of donations and volunteers.

Below are some photos from our Fiesta de Navidad where both of our Starfish communities from Flor & Guasmo came together to have fun & celebrate. Also a big thanks to Colegio "Domingo Savio" and "Big Cola" for providing donations to make this event even better!! i

It looks like Santa joined us for our fiesta!

In addition to our games and gifts, our Christmas festivities included face painting!

Responsibility as a Community

2015-12-17T13:30:00.000-05:00

This week, we feature a short blog post by two of our educadores, Pamela and Jasmin. In this honest reflection, we learn that small actions, when an entire community participates, can have a great impact.

Pope Francis's recent encyclicals about ecology and climate change beckon us to open our eyes to the natural world around us, and to take actions towards truly caring for the environment. As a worldwide human community dependent on the world's resources, we should work towards integrating ourselves with our nature: on caring for and protecting our environment. Pope Francis invites us to participate in the "the divine harmony between beings and creation."

During his visit to Ecuador (July 7, 2015) and meetings with political, business, and community leaders of the country, Pope Francis boldly and truthfully proclaimed: "We received this world as an inheritance from past generations, but also as a loan from future generations, to whom we will have to return it!” Pope Francis calls us to claim responsibility for our actions, and to realize that future generations will have to address the environmental problems that we have created. Furthermore, the Pope asserts that "We are not God. The Earth was here before us and given to us."

And here, our very own Ecuadorian youth share their thoughts about community and the environment:

Community

If we begin today, helping with the small things in our community, then in the future, we will see results.

Today there exist many problems within society.

One of these is the lack of communication about things that affect our environment. Thus, our objective is not only to strive for a general academic and economic improvement, but for our youth to help, to do, and to be informed about the environment we live in so that they may work themselves towards improving it. For this reason, we learn how to creatively reuse materials on a daily basis, so that we may contribute in the smallest way to caring for the environment. Do you want to help us change the world?

~Pamela and Jasmin~

Pamela Rodriguez

Jasmin Tumbaco

en español:

Comunidad:

Si empezamos hoy ayudando con pequeñas cosas a nuestra comunidad en el futuro veremos los resultados.

Hoy en día existen muchos problemas dentro de la sociedad.

Uno de ellos es la falta de comunicación sobre cosas que afectan al medio ambiente. Nuestro objetivo no es solo ayudar académicamente o económicamente sino también a jóvenes y a niños una manera de ayudar y hacer conocer a las personas de su entorno que se pueda hacer por mejorarlo y es por eso que aquí aprendemos a utilizar material reciclable de una manera creativa y dinámica.

Quieres ayudarnos a cambiar el mundo?

Pursuing Your Vocation

2015-12-10T14:30:00.000-05:00

Victor E. Frankl, a neurologist, psychologist, Holocaust survivor and author of Man's Search for Meaning, declares that "Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Then he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated; thus, everyone's task is unique as his specific opportunity to implement it." This message affirms the value, dignity, and importance of the individual, emphasizing that each person has their own personal and distinct role to play in the world. This quote beckons us to boldly and courageously pursue our calling.

As a college student surrounded by highly motivated and talented peers, I feel the constant pressure to secure for myself a stable, sensible, profitable career, which can lead to my own disregard of my true desires and talents, and instead prioritizing financial affluence. While striving for a career that brings financial stability isn't a negative aspiration by any means, I believe there are a few more important things to first consider.

Before this semester began, I participated in a retreat rooted in the idea of taking a step back to reevaluate your actions and choices, specifically focusing on the theme of vocation. During this retreat, we discussed the discernment question of Fr. Michael Himes, a Professor of Theology at Boston College. He poses three central questions for discerning one's vocation:

Is this a source of joy?
Is this something that taps into your talents and gifts- does it engage all of your abilities and use them in the fullest way possible?
Is this role a genuine service to the people around you- to society at large?

Focusing on these questions helped me be brutally honest with myself. What brings me happiness? What am I actually good at? (Not what I wish I was good at- but what are my true talents?) And lastly, what does the world need me to do?

I think vocation discernment is often undermined in the lives of many young people. Vocation discernment doesn't just pertain to those considering a religious vocation, but to each and every individual. And it's important for us to remember, and to be reminded, that there are thousands of career options out there, and that society desperately needs what each of us has to offer. Moreover, each profession carries with it an opportunity and duty to do good and be fully rooted in love. I believe that it is our two-fold duty and delight, as humans, to uncover our talent, and discover our place in this always-moving, imperfect yet wondrous world. Choosing to joyfully live out our vocation- to employ our talents in tandem with others' talents in order to add just a tad more light to the world- this is our mission, as individuals and as a community. What we really need- in all professions- is people dedicated to people.

Furthermore, it's our responsibility to help others discover their own vocations- and this mission is at the core of Starfish. I stand behind this objective, as I think that discerning one's vocation is central to being human. Enabling students to discover their own talents and vocations provides them with confidence, and helps them recognize their own dignity. As the Dalai Lama proclaims, "With the realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world."

In whatever way we use our talents, I believe it's important to remind ourselves that our first and foremost calling, as humans, is to open our eyes, to be fully present, and to live in solidarity with others: to acknowledge those around us as fellow brothers and sisters, realizing that each individual before us has a set of goals, hopes, and desires as complex and unique as our own. As soon as we do this- recognize the humanity of ourselves, and others- then we are able to be fully alive and choose to allow our lives to be governed by agape- a love that seeks nothing in return.

How do you live out our vocation? What does it mean to use your talents and time to live in solidarity and kinship with others?

"What is it you plan to do with this one wild and precious life?"

~Mary Oliver~

How do you form a leader?

2015-12-03T14:30:00.000-05:00

This week, two of our educadores, Maria Salazar and Joel Baque, collaborated to write a blog about leadership. Maria and Joel are both noteworthy leaders in the Flor and Guasmo communities, respectively. They serve as models of hope and inspiration for the current Starfish scholars, and we are thankful for the reflection they share with us!

How is a leader formed?

"A leader includes others, helping them to discover essential skills they can put to use to achieve a common goal."

One of the experiences that can form us as a leader occurs during the period of our schooling, during which we acquire knowledge and learn from our challenges and experiences that develop from our interactions with others and group work. During group work, we are able to discover the different abilities that each person possesses.

The different talents that we possess make us unique and special, and together, we can combine our different talents to help us reach our proposed goal. For this reason, we, the Starfish Foundation, help high school aged students to polish and refine their talents and in some cases, discover them, in such a way that converts them into leaders capable of being guides and examples for the younger students.

Will you help us to form leaders? Join us, and become a part of our family!

With love,

Maria Salazar & Joel Baque

Maria Salazar

Joel Baque

en español:

¿CÓMO SE FORMA UN LÍDER?

"El líder incluye a los demás y ayuda a descubrir aptitudes esénciales para llegar a una meta en común."

Una de las experiencias que podemos tener como un líder, es en la etapa de colegio, en el cual se adquieren conocimientos en base a retos y vivencias que en grupo se desarrollan, en ella podemos descubrir las diferentes aptitudes que cada persona posee.

Aquellas diferencias son las que nos hacen personas únicas y especiales, que en conjunto y equitativamente alcanzaran el objetivo propuesto; Por eso en la Fundación Estrellitas del Mar, ayudamos a los chicos de colegio a pulir sus aptitudes y en algunos casos a descubrirlas, de tal manera que se conviertan en líderes, capaces de ser guías y ejemplos para los más pequeños.

¿Nos ayudarías a formar líderes? Se parte de nuestra familia…

Con cariño,

María & Joel

The small businesses we support!

2015-11-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

Small Business Saturday. A relatively new tradition to support local small businesses, instead of focusing on the larger corporations usually featured during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. What are your favorite small businesses to support?

One of our favorite collections of businesses to support are those run by our families in Ecuador! Here are a few to share about with you:

A few of our families peel garlic ("ajo") for a living. It's a long process, but it sure makes the home smell great!

One of our moms is a seamstress! She has sewn the shirts (including the beautiful Starfish logos) for our employees, students and trip participants each year.

This Saturday, which small businesses are you supporting? Are you joining us for #GivingTuesday, to support the Scholars of the families above? Don't forget! We are excited to see you there.

Black Friday -- and what it really means to us

2015-11-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

It's safe to say, if you know me, that Black Friday isn't my favorite. Families split off after (or instead of) Thanksgiving celebrations to go shopping for major sales. Consumer culture at its best!

Working in Ecuador has made me struggle with Black Friday even more. Why? Because, sadly, 'Viernes Negro' has transitioned to Ecuador!

An ad, similar to the one Jenn and I saw in 2012 or 2013, at Mi Comisariato (a local all-purpose store) for Black Friday sales.

On a deeper level, there are so many people who cannot experience Black Friday. Shopping at this level, even with major sales, isn't feasible for most of our families. They are prioritizing education (even after our support, there are other needs -- like bus fare), food and clothing. They likely will have to work on Black Friday, if they have the opportunity to work a steady job. Like many retailers in the U.S., working on Black Friday might involve long hours, unpleasant consumers, and difficult crowds. Today, one of our graduates Cristhian might even be working -- he was lucky enough to land a steady job at Mi Comisariato, so he can help make ends meet at home.

Cristhian (left) and his family!

Anyways -- my point for you today is to remember those (both in the U.S. and Ecuador) who can't participate in Black Friday. That's one of the reasons #GivingTuesday was created, to encourage people to support people in need, and not just participate in consumer-focused activities. I hope to see you at one of our eight events on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. If you're in Hoboken, Manchester CT, Wilmington, Baltimore, DC, San Francisco, or Villanova, you can learn more about who we think about on Black Friday!

What does today's youth think about education?

2015-11-26T14:30:00.000-05:00

Our blog this week features a post from two educadores, William Segura and Allison Rodriguez, who affirm the importance of education and speak of the great impact that Starfish has had on their, and others’, lives. This Thanksgiving, we recognize all whom we are thankful for in our Starfish community: our educadores, our students and their families, our volunteers, and all those who prioritize education and lifelong learning in community. Muchísmias gracias a todo, and happy Thanksgiving!

Education: Fundamental in Life

What does today's youth think about education? Do they think that it’s important and serves a purpose?

In my own experience, in the past, I used to think that education didn’t matter so much because I knew of people who had obtained educational degrees, but that it didn’t help them much in that they weren’t able to find a dignified job or they felt uncomfortable exercising the profession that they had been confined to due to the limitations of the education system.

However, my opinions have changed since being at the Foundation. The Starfish Foundation, along with the furthering of my own education, has taught me how to see things differently and to deeply consider others’ points of view. Furthermore, Starfish has instilled in me the core values of excellence and determination, which are fundamental to education. I learned that with just a little help, you can achieve anything that you propose.

Education is waiting for you. Are you ready to change your point of view about education?

We are Starfish!
William Segura and Allison Rodriguez

en español:

Educación: Base fundamental de la vida

¿Qué piensan los jóvenes de hoy en día sobre la educación? ¿Piensan que es importante o sirve de algo?

En mi caso personal, antes pensaba que la educación no importaba por que conocía a personas que habían llegado a tener un titulo pero sin embargo no les servia de mucho ya que no podían encontrar un trabajo digno o se sentían incomodos ejerciendo la profesión que les había destinado con limitación el sistema educativo.

LA FUNDACION ESTRELLITAS DEL MAR me enseñó una forma de ver las cosas diferentes con respecto al punto de vista de las demás personas con base en la educación y la vida.
Fundamentándose en la excelencia y la determinación, que son la clave de la educación; aprendí que tan solo con una pizca de constancia puedes llegar a cumplir lo que te propongas.

La Educación espera por ti. ¿Estas dispuesto a cambiar tu punto de vista con respecto a la Educación?

¡Somos Starfish!
Por:
William Segura y Allison Rodriguez

3 things I'm thankful for about Ecuador

2015-11-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

In honor of Thanksgiving, I wanted to write a special post on gratitude. I started to think to myself, though -- is the topic too overdone? Not original enough? How can I make our readers understand the immense gratitude that I feel every day for my experiences in Ecuador?

So I'm going to tell you.

We celebrated Thanskgiving in Ecuador, sort of -- we celebrated with all the ex-Pats who we knew in Guayaquil. It was the first (and only) time I'd ever worked on Thanksgiving. I remember trying to explain "pumpkin" in Spanish to my students. The closest translation of 'pumpkin' I've ever found is really the word for 'squash.' Try that comparison tonight at the dinner table! Somehow Jenn made a really close resemblance to a pumpkin pie. I still remember Carlos saying [in English, but with a cute Spanish accent], "Pumpkin pie!"

Anyways, I've digressed. Here are three things that Ecuador has made me thankful for:

1. Cooking. You would never have known it at the time -- because I certainly didn't cook back then! -- but a huge piece about Ecuadorian culture that I love is the cooking. Families (usually the mom) cook every day, often two or three meals. They use super fresh ingredients, and their skills are top-notch. The food is tied in to the hospitality, in a 'loaves and fishes' kind of way -- there's always more, and you're always welcome. I started cooking more seriously about 9 months ago, and it's been a source of joy at the end of a long day. Plus, the notion of standing on my feet after a full day of sitting is refreshing!

Soraya, pictured here, always cooked delicious meals for me and my community-mates!

2. Hospitality. Anyone who's ever stepped foot in Ecuador knows that the Ecuadorians' hospitality is second to none. They invite you over at all hours of the day, make you food, clean up for you, and entertain you during the whole visit. A great story of their hospitality is when our flight got delayed 7 hours (yes, seven!). We were so tired, but we wanted to rally and still have the whole day to play with our new friends. Neighbors of Starfish let us into their homes for an afternoon nap (a 'siesta,' if you will). Yes -- you read that right -- we went into these homes of families most of us barely knew (although Starfish knew them well!) and took a nap in their beds for the afternoon!

Anna and I being goofy during the aforementioned afternoon naptime. We also spent a significant amount of time talking about Ecuadorian hospitality!

3. Tradition. I have never been so grateful for tradition as I have in Ecuador. Our neighbors asked a lot of questions about our traditions - what does our family do for Christmas? What's the meaning behind turkey on Thanksgiving? Why do people have picnics and go camping during Independence Day? It made me think a lot about some of the traditions we have. Traditions are beautiful because they show that this action (or the people who passed it on to us) are meaningful. Even a tradition as simple as starting your day with coffee can be symbolic of a moment to rest, pray, be in silence, create conversation or show hospitality.

One Ecuadorian tradition is to have an Olympics every year at schools. The students have academic and athletic challenges to complete. A few years ago, we picked up on the tradition and started Starfish "Olimpiadas" too! Above, the different groups display their team spirit.

So, here's to cooking more, increasing hospitality and celebrating tradition. What are some things you are grateful for this Thanksgiving?

But first, let me take an #UNselfie

2015-11-25T12:14:00.001-05:00

In 2013, the Oxford Dictionary declared the world selfie as the Word of the Year 2013. Made popular by a recent song, selfies have really become a generational phenomenon. Parents will take selfies with families at holiday parties, friends will take selfies at happy hours -- even presenters and teachers will take selfies with their participants!

Now, what's the buzz about an #UNselfie, you ask? Well, the term #unselfie was coined in 2013 (the same year selfie was declared Word of the Year, remember?) to show the world why YOU unselfishly support the efforts of #GivingTuesday. Still wondering what #GivingTuesday is? From the official #GivingTuesday website, "We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 1, 2015, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give."

So, here is my #unselfie for you:

This #GivingTuesday, I give because I believe in #educationforall, and I support the good work that our @starfishchange Scholars have accomplished! #UNselfie

I recognize that education is a privilege, and it's one that has given me the opportunity to advance in my career and service in ways I never could have achieved otherwise. I am grateful for my Villanova undergraduate and Loyola graduate experiences, as well as my public school foundation in Baltimore County, MD (go Dulaney!).

This week, there are events all over the country to support our Scholars! Want to hang out with like-minded people while raising funds for a great cause?? Join us in Baltimore MD, Washington DC, Hoboken NJ, Manchester CT, Wilmington DE (twice!), San Francisco CA, and Villanova PA for some awesome events.

Not in one of those cities? Have plans on Tuesday, December 1 (some events are on 11/30 or 12/2 - check the events page to be sure)? You can always give online in honor of #GivingTuesday. Just add #GivingTuesday to the memo of your donation!

Another way to help is by sharing YOUR #UNselfie! Tag us @starfishchange (Twitter and Instagram) -- we can't wait to see what you share. If you aren't yet convinced, here's a sneak peek at some fun Starfish selfies :) Enjoy!

Genesis and me during the trip this summer. She asked to send this to her pen pal, David G.!

Anna and I at the talent show in August. We were SO EXCITED that you all supported our fundraising campaign to the level where we could get glow sticks for the kids! I'm not sure who was more excited, in fact. ;) It was a great night!

Jenn and I at the Olympics on Sunday morning. She brought so many shirts so she could join a number of teams! (Don't worry though -- she wasn't a fair-weathered teammate. I think she ended up timing most of the activities!)

Itaty and I - I hadn't spent much time with her before this trip in August, but she is queen of the soccer field. Luckily, I was assigned to her team (the white team!) for Olympics. We didn't win overall, but we did place well in the soccer tournament!

Starfish Students elected as part of the Guayaquil Student Council!

2015-11-19T14:30:00.000-05:00

This week we are featuring a blog post from Luiggi Pluas, a Starfish student from Flor de Bastion, who, along with Itaty Morocho, were 2 of the 12 students elected to represent District 8 in a city-wide student council. The selection of Luiggi and Itaty demonstrates their academic success and leadership abilities, and we are incredibly proud of them. Being chosen as a representative is a great honor and accomplishment. Congratulations, Luiggi and Itaty!

The Youth and Adolescents Advisory Council of Guayaquil

In the first council, the Guayaquil officials had to elect 12 youth representatives from a previously selected group of 24. During this meeting, Itaty and I were fortunate to be elected as 2 of the 12 representatives from District 8 (our district). There are a total of 10 districts, and each district sent 12 youth representatives to the large, city-wide Student Council, which totaled to 120 children that attended the council.

At the first meeting [that Itaty and I attended], only members of District 8 participated, but at the second meeting, we joined all of the districts representing the entirety of Guayaquil. To accommodate such a large group of youth representatives, the meeting occurred in the Multifunctional Town Center (Zumar). When we arrived, they gave us purple shirts, the purple signifying that we were representatives of District 8. The other districts had various colors to differentiate themselves. We began with icebreakers, then we created some small representations (sketches) of the social problems present in Guayaquil, such as drugs, alcohol, human trafficking, and pollution.

Itaty and I truly enjoyed the activities. After the group discussions and activities, we then went to eat, and once we finished, it was time to choose the 12 representatives of the entire Guayaquil and 12 alternates from the 120 students present at this council. Truthfully, choosing 24 students from 120 proved to be very difficult; therefore, the 120 candidates had to participate in many exercises, such as speaking, socializing, etc., and during these activities, we were evaluated and had to pass certain criteria. As they were determining the 12 representatives and 12 alternates, I was incredibly nervous, since I didn't know what was going to happen, or if I was going to be chosen. When they gave us the final count of the votes and informed me that I didn't qualify, I felt a little sad that I wasn't chosen to represent Guayaquil as part of that small council. However, there will be another opportunity soon, and I have to keep faith that I could be a representative in the future.

The purpose of this Council of Students is to gather ideas from the adolescentes and present them to the mayor, so that the city government may come to understand what the youth of Guayaquil wants, which is: for our city to become a better, safer place.

~Luiggi Pluas

Luiggi Pluas

Itaty Morocho

(en español)

Consejo Consultivo de la niñez y adolescencia de Guayaquil

Primero nos mandaron a citar en al primer reunión, en la cual se debía escoger a 12 niños entre aproximadamente 24 niños del distrito 8, ya que los demás distritos (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) ya habían tenido anteriormente otras reuniones en la que también escogido a 12 niños mas, es decir, entre todos los distritos tenía que haber aproximadamente 120 niños escogidos, desde hay ya quedamos como representantes del distrito 8.

Posteriormente a esa reunión, nos citaron a otra, pero esta vez era para concursar ya no solo los que estábamos del distrito 8, si no contra todos los distritos para que representemos a Guayaquil entero, y asi fue, la reunión se realizo en el Centro Municipal Polifuncional Zumar, cuando llegamos nos entregaron una camisa de color morado, el cual nos representaba como distrito 8, los demás distritos tenían otros colores para diferenciarlos, entonces eramos como 100 niños que estábamos concursando, primero hicimos dinámicas, pequeños sketchs sobre problemáticas sociales como las drogas, el alcohol, trata de personas, contaminación ambienta, etc…

Nos divertimos mucho, luego fuimos a comer, una vez que terminamos, ya había llegado la hora de comenzar a escoger 12 representantes de Guayaquil y 12 mas de suplentes, de entre todos los aproximadamente 100 estudiantes, al verdad es que estuvo difícil, y aunque teníamos que dar diferentes criterios, hablar, socializar, etc, pero cuando ya fueron los votaciones yo estaba nervioso ya que no sabía de que iba a pasar, pero cuando ya dieron los votos finales, me dijeron que estaba descalificado, me sentí un poco triste ya que no pude alcanzar a representar a Guayaquil, pero para una próxima oportunidad será, hay que tener fé de que se va a poder.

Este proyecto, tiene el fin de recolectar ideas de los niños, adolescentes para asi los directivos, alcalde, tengan una idea concisa de que es lo piensan los jóvenes y así ser de Guayaquil un lugar mejor.

Luiggi Pluas

My dream, Scholars' dreams, and refugees' dreams

2015-11-18T07:45:00.000-05:00

So, if you're connected with world news at all in the past week, it's been a tumultuous week to say the least. Paris, Beirut, Baghdad, and Japan all made world headlines within a few days' time. But, sadly, another recent news headline started a long time ago (and has progressed): Syria's refugee crisis.

I'm not writing this blog to take a political stance -- but I'm actually reframing this situation for you with a different perspective. For our Scholars, they are blessed to not currently be living in a war-torn country. Their country has not been attacked by terrorists. They are not traveling thousands of miles to a potential new home - hoping that someone will care for them along the dangerous journey.

The sad reality is, though, our Scholars do face very real challenges. They face extreme poverty, lack of food, lack of clean water, violence in their community, gang and drug pressure, and more. The difference I am grateful for is the opportunity for our Scholars to receive an education.

Here is our "Goals" or "Dreams" wall. Each Scholar put his/her dream on the wall, next to a photo of him/her in school uniform. We believe this motivates them to keep focused on their dreams!

We also like to celebrate students' academic achievements and efforts. Here, Maria Belen congratulates Luiggi, one of our Scholars that we recognized last month!

Pamela, one of our work-study volunteers (who will be starting as an educator for us soon!) dreams of becoming a flight attendant. At her Starfish graduation celebration earlier this year, the Starfish educators and Scholars made her a card that reads, "Congratulations, future Flight Attendant!"

So far, Starfish has had 8 graduates (2 in 2014 and 6 in 2015, four of whom are pictured here). 6 more students are expected to graduate this coming year, in March!

I write all of this to share with you how grateful I am that our Scholars and tutor-only (mentee) students live in a country where there is peace. The challenges for many of these families are large, but the opportunity that these students receive is incredible, and I'm proud we can welcome them to receive their education.

Throughout my time in Baltimore, I've also met many refugees - people whom the U.S. has welcomed into a land of peace, opportunity and education. I am grateful for these refugees, for all they have taught and brought us, and for the kind compassion they have been shown in times of hardship.

Most importantly, I pray for the people who are not experiencing peace right now, that they find peace and compassion soon in their journey.

So, tell me - what are your dreams? Share them here, or email me at beth@thestarfishchange.org. I'd love to hear your dreams!

Our educadoras write about leadership!

2015-11-12T14:30:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks have been exciting for both the students and educadores of Starfish!
Our educadoras participated in a technology workshop, in which they refined communication skills, such as professional emailing and blogging. They divided into groups and composed blog posts about different topics. Here is what educadoras Cynthia and Lissette have to say about leadership!

Leadership and I

(( Examining the importance of leadership in our daily lives ))

Implementing our leadership skills enables us to both achieve our aspirations and resolve our problems.

Asking the question, "what do the people want?" helps to guide us in being effective, efficient, and caring servant-leaders. Leadership plays an essential role in our lives. We know that if we use our talents, we will be able to endure any obstacles and effectively lead a group by incorporating everyone's different skills and gifts.

As a leader, one must have an intense internal drive to be able to motivate, inspire, and encourage others. Doing so will enable us to be effective in the workplace, to inspire others to work hard, and to ultimately reach our goals both in the workplace and our daily lives. Furthermore, we strive to continue to develop our communication skills in order to be a good leader (educator) at the Starfish Foundation, which has helped us acquire and refine our own leadership abilities.

Collaborating with others in a group makes completing tasks easier, since everyone is using their unique talents to work towards a common goal. Group work pushes us to make decisions, to delegate tasks, and integrate each group member's input.

"The success of a leader resides in understanding what the people desire and demand."

Lissette Loor, Guasmo educadora

Cynthia Gurumendi, Guasmo educadora

// be sure to check in next week, as we will be featuring blogs from two of our Starfish students who were nominated to be members of the Guayaquil Student Council //

en español:

El liderazgo y yo

En un futuro podremos solventar más el liderazgo!

~ Sabes lo que la gente quiere? ~

El liderazgo es muy importante porque nos conlleva a que nuestras habilidades las podremos sobrellevar y mantener a un grupo con la finalidad de tener capacidad de motivar, convocar promover e incentivar y evaluar para para que dicho trabajo sea eficaz y así lograr alcanzar las metas y objetivos propuestos en nuestra vida cotidiana. Por lo tanto, también desarrollamos mucha comunicación para poder ser un buen líder en la fundación.

Por lo que, el trabajo en equipo simplifica las cosas y aporta nuevos conocimientos que nos permite lograr la toma decisiones e integrar una propuesta para que los integrantes del equipo toman conciencia de sus tareas que deben cumplirlas en un tiempo determinado por su líder.

“La habilidad de un líder reside en entender fielmente lo que la gente quiere o demanda.”

The Top 5 Reasons We Started Starfish

2015-11-09T11:00:00.000-05:00

Happy fourth birthday, Starfish! I'm so excited to celebrate this day - I remember when Jenn and I began, I had the thought, "It might last one year, and that's great! Or, it could last 5, and that's awesome. Or maybe even 10 or 20!" Look - just one year out from my next 'mile-marker' -- we've come so far!

I thought it might be fun to share with you a little bit about why Jenn and I decided to start Starfish.

1. We knew we had to give back to those we love, who had given us so much. We had just returned from a powerful year serving in Guayaquil, Ecuador with Rostro de Cristo. We had met these incredible families that had opened their homes to us through offering us food, love, hugs, a listening ear, and so much more. Even if we weren't in this neighborhood specifically (which Starfish isn't), we wanted to support that beautiful culture of hospitality, faith and service.

Some of the children from some of my favorite families, in a neighborhood behind the one where I lived, called Elsa.

2. Carpe diem. We had to sieze the day! What a better time to do something really crazy then when you just finished doing something else really crazy?! In all seriousness, Jenn and I both knew it was a little nuts -- we were told we shouldn't make any big life decisions during such a powerful transition, but ya know... sometimes your heart just speaks louder than your head. Neither of us had many serious commitments at the time, so it seemed like a reasonable time to take a leap of faith.

3. To put our faith into action. Jenn and I are both dedicated to our faith. We are both Catholic, but we're on the same page that faith is faith -- and it means doing good works when you are able to serve those most in need. We both love the Jesuit traditions (Jenn having gone to Fairfield - me now studying at Loyola, plus spending time at a Jesuit parish in Baltimore). The notions of serving those most in need rings loudly in our hearts, and it's something we take seriously.

4. "She who sees is responsible." Taken from the motto of Notre Dame Preparatory School, we knew we had to do something about what we had witnessed. We had seen (and still see) so many families struggle to make ends meet with food and shelter alone, that education seemed to be a daunting task for our loved ones. We had seen the challenges with finding income, maintaining health, and working for justice - and we knew we couldn't sit still.

5. Because of Hugh, and Dr. Albert Schweitzer, and Villanova. Hugh O'Brian started the famous HOBY Leadership organization, one that I'm quite involved in. Dr. Albert Schweitzer inspired Hugh to start HOBY after a trip to Africa, where Schweitzer asked, "Hugh, what are you going to do about it?"

My family and I with Hugh O'Brian himself!

Around the same time we returned from our year in Ecuador, Villanova (my alma mater) had just started their Ignite Change, Go Nova campaign. The entire campaign focuses on supporting Villanova community members to do things just like this. What perfect timing! I remember visiting campus for the first time after I returned back to the U.S., telling professors and friends that I wanted to start a nonprofit. No one even doubted it -- the common answer was, "Great! Tell me more."

So, Jenn and I decided to ignite some change... and look where we are today. :)

The banner that really inspired my passion to go forth with this project.

We hope you enjoy celebrating this 200th blog post and this 4th birthday with us today -- and here's to many more!

Con cariño,
Beth