The Starr Institute

The Starr Institute, Inc. (TSI) has had a profound impact on raising awareness and elevating the discussion around child sexual abuse and exploitation to include but is not limited to its definition, warning signs, and meaningful solutions.  My Safety Starts With Me is our core program.  It is a five-week workshop series covering sex trafficking awareness & safety 101, internet safety, self-esteem, and goal setting.  The workshops are interactive, culturally relevant, and age-appropriate for youth aged 12-17 and adults who support them.  The workshop series was created to simplify a complex issue in a way young people can understand and stay engaged.  It empowers participants to take ownership of their safety by teaching them how to recognize, respond to, and disclose abuse whether it’s in person and/or online.  We discuss healthy relationships, boundaries, using correct anatomical terms for body parts, and goal setting.  And most importantly, we have fun.  We are committed to providing young people with the tools they need to build the lives they envision.   

We also offer training for adults who support youth, and professionals who work with children and families.  Since 2017, more than 3,000 youth and adults have participated in TSI’s awareness, prevention, and personal development programming.  Another 700 people across 33 states and 3 countries have raised funds to support TSI’s efforts through an annual 5K Run+Walk.  

While TSI was founded in 2017 in Atlanta, during the height of the pandemic in 2020 founder and executive director Shavontana “Starr” Davis’ family relocated to South Florida in Broward County.  Much like the rest of the world, TSI embraced the power of the pivot and incorporated a hybrid presentation model.  Locally TSI serves in the tri-county area which includes Miami Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties. With the shift to working and attending school online, TSI created a virtual option so that we could help youth nationwide be supported and have access to the educational resources they need.   

In the tri-county area, TSI has partnered with Kristi House, Miami Northwestern High School, KIPP Liberty Academy, the Broward Human Trafficking Coalition, the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County, the Urban League of Broward County, Championship Academy of Distinction West Broward, Junior Achievement of South Florida, and the Children’s Services Council. 

In 2021 Starr was named one of ten L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth Honorees and she debuted her first book, “The Abuse Algorithm:  Lessons in Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse,” which shares stories of child sexual abuse survivors, explores how adverse childhood experiences impacted their lives and how this widespread issue is a preventable public health crisis.  TSI is working to create a world where young people avoid – and not simply recover from – abuse.