USA Funds and Starfish Initiative Help Indianapolis Students Pursue Higher Education

As many students returned to familiar classrooms this school year, approximately
30 Indianapolis high-school students found themselves in new surroundings. These 30 “Starfish Scholars” completed eighth grade at an urban school in Indianapolis but began their freshman year in some of the largest private high schools in Indiana.

For the second year, USA Funds^® has supported the work of the Starfish Initiative with a grant of $50,000. Starfish aims to make college-preparatory education a viable choice for more inner-city students in Indianapolis by connecting resilient, low-income, talented and academically capable students with the social and financial resources needed to ensure their success through college.

“Our goal is to provide the intense support required to protect and nurture our scholars’ dreams,” says Joyce Johnson, executive director of the Starfish Initiative. “We work to strengthen the Indianapolis community one scholar, one opportunity, one dream at a time.”

Since 2003 Starfish has placed 43 students in 11 private high schools. Starfish selects students based on income level, academic achievement and qualification as a Twenty-first Century Scholar. Twenty-first Century Scholars is a State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana program that promotes postsecondary education among youth from lower-income families.

All current Starfish participants come from families whose annual earnings place them at federal poverty levels; 80 percent are minorities.

Once selected, Starfish Scholars are matched with adult mentors. Students meet with their mentors face-to-face every other week, year-round, throughout their high-school and postsecondary careers. The role of the mentor is to:

• Assist students in adjusting to their new school environments and cultures.
• Build relationships that encourage academic achievement.
• Help students set goals for continued personal growth, leadership-skill development and community-service experience.
• Facilitate summer employment or work-for-tuition programs.
• Expand students’ world views and experiences.

Parents also meet quarterly with program coordinators for training, support and informational sessions. Meetings are held on various college campuses throughout Indianapolis. The November meeting, at the University of Indianapolis, will include the family track of the USA Funds Unlock the Future^® program, which introduces parents to the many educational options available to students.

Starfish has an ongoing need for adult mentors, both male and female. For more information or to complete an application, visit the mentor area of the program’s Web site.

USA Funds provided funding for the Starfish Initiative as part of its commitment to promote postsecondary-education preparedness, access and success in Indiana. Indiana is one of the eight states in which USA Funds is the designated guarantor of federal education loans. USA Funds also serves as the designated guarantor for Arizona, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada and Wyoming.