Back to top

STARability Foundation

Overview
Headquarters: 
Naples, Florida, USA
Size: 
11-50 employees
Founded: 
1982
Annual Budget : 
$1-5M
Areas of Focus: 
Populations Served: 
Disabled
About Us
Mission: 

To transform the lives of individuals with disabilities through social, vocational and educational connections to the community, while strengthening awareness and respect for individual abilities.

Programs: 

The STARability Foundation (formerly Foundation for the Developmentally Disabled) has its roots in innovative social and recreational activities and programs started by parents to enhance the quality of life of their young adult children by keeping them active and engaged.  Our organization has grown and evolved and in April 2018 we unveiled our new name and mission statement to better reflect our focus of shining light on ability, not disability, and to emphasize our core values:  Support, Teamwork, Awareness and Respect.  We currently serve over 280 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and provide resources and support for their families.  We fill a void that exists for these individuals when they age out of the school system.  Our programs include life skills classes, social events, recreational activities (baseball, basketball and bowling), photography workshops, book clubs and theater and art workshops.  In September 2016 we launched the Trailblazer Academy to address the unmet need in Collier County for a full-time, post-high school transition program for young adults with disabilities.  This community-based program was the first of its kind in Collier County and remains the only one that combines vocational training at area businesses, employment readiness, life skills and academic education, health and fitness and enrichment experiences through the arts, in one curriculum.  Trailblazer Academy participants are developing job skills while discovering they can have a place in the world of work.

Why Work For Us?: 

STARability Foundation aims to be a game-changing organization.  Since 2016 we have grown exponentially in terms of number of people served and programs we offer.  Our staff has increased from 2 full-time and 1 part-time to 12 full-time and 2 part-time.  We take an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to our mission and everyone on our team is committed to transforming the lives of the individuals we serve.  Belief in our core values - Support, Teamwork, Awareness, Respect - is at the essence of everything we do.  Our employees are encouraged to seek professional development on an ongoing basis and STARability supports and provides training and education for staff.  As the organization continues to expand, there will be many opportunities for career development and advancement.  We are seeking people to join our staff who want to be a part of our growth and our future.

industry: 
Nonprofit