Survivors' Jeff Probst to Host the First Star 2020 Virtual Celebration!

We are thrilled to announce that this year's virtual Celebration will be hosted by Jeff Probst of Survivor! A long-time supporter of foster youth, Jeff founded the Serpentine Project, which helped young adults in California who have aged out of the foster care system find a home, a job, and ultimately realize their dreams. We are honored that he has taken time out of his filming schedule to host this year's event and support our amazing scholars!

The First Star National STEAM Academy, led by technology and grounded in social justice, will invite foster youth from all over the country to tap into the possibilities and wonders of STEAM. The Academy will present culturally responsive content delivered by presenters with shared life experiences; they will be black, latinx, former foster youth, and first-gen individuals who can validate our young people while simultaneously empowering them to shoot for the stars!

This year's honorees, Deirdre & Bill Catuzzi and Jeff Stibel, giants of the tech world, saw both the need and the unique opportunity to empower our scholars to achieve their dreams and create change in the world. The First Star National STEAM Academy wouldn't be possible without their vision and support.

2020 has presented us with a unique set of challenges, but this year's virtual Celebration has given us the opportunity to honor those in our First Star family from across the country. Our Academy Directors, university and community partners, national staff members, and Board of Directors have stepped up to meet the needs of our students, all while surrounding them with the confidence and hope to continue to progress and achieve. Now more than ever, we are steadfast in our commitment to make real, lasting change in our scholars' lives.

We are proud to present First Star College of Staten Island Academy Director Senemeht Olatunji with our inaugural First Star Brilliance Award, honoring those who have gone above and beyond to serve our scholars.

Senemeht has been the driving force behind incorporating more science and technology programming into her Academy. Through a grant she received from the AT&T Foundation, she was able to take her students on an east coast STEM-focused college tour during the 2019 summer session. Her leadership and dedication to her students have been such an inspiration to us all!

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