Starfish Scholarship Program
The Starfish Scholarship Program provides middle school, high school, and collegiate or technical degree education to Juarez families, where the Mexican government does not require education past the 6th grade. 500 students have participated in the program to date, helping to break cycles of generational poverty. Juarez is a historic city of over 1 million people and has endured generations of poverty. Over 200,000 children in Juarez hope for a better future, their families want it for them, but many drop out of school after the 6th grade to begin working and bringing income to their families. In Mexico families have to pay around $500 a year for a public education after the 6th grade, and that’s money most families do not have.
Impact on peoples’ lives
529 students have received scholarships, and almost 250 are currently in the program
$450 provides a full year scholarship for a student
Starfish graduates have gone on to become nurses, dentists, business owners, and teachers
The program is operated by Arrow’s staff in Juarez, and financed/audited through US support
Stories of lives changed
Citlai was 15 years older when she was forced to drop out of school because her family could not afford to pay for her continued education.
Starfish scholarships helped her graduate high school and college, where she received a Bachelors of Arts in teaching.
She now teaches kindergarten in Juarez and raises her two sons.
History of Starfish
Juarez’s tight knit communities have 90% poverty rate and the average family lives on $500 income per month
Most students drop out of school between the age of 10 and 16 to begin working and bringing income to their families
The program was started in 2001 to help young people expand their lives with education, support their families, and build the middle class
