Black Friday -- and what it really means to us

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?

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

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

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!

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

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!

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.”