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EnglishWhat Is Starkey Hearing Foundation?
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Starkey Hearing Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to "give the gift of hearing to those in need, empowering them to achieve their potential." Its work centers on training, educating, and building the capacity of the next generation of hearing care professionals in the developing world — who then provide hearing services in their own communities. If you are looking for an organization focused on hearing healthcare access and professional training rather than product sales, this is what the foundation does.
What the Foundation Does
The foundation's model is built on a simple idea: rather than only delivering hearing care directly, it trains local professionals who can serve their home communities over the long term. According to the foundation, hearing is "a vehicle to reflect caring and to improve the lives of individuals, their families, and communities."
Its work falls into three broad areas:
- Training and education — developing hearing care professionals, primarily in the developing world
- Capacity building — strengthening local hearing healthcare systems so services continue after training ends
- Global impact — providing hearing healthcare services to people in need worldwide
The Starkey Hearing Institute
The foundation's flagship training program is the Starkey Hearing Institute, created to address what the foundation describes as a "dire shortage of hearing healthcare professionals across the Globe."
| Location | Founded | Graduates to date |
|---|---|---|
| Lusaka, Zambia | 2016 | 103 students from 19 African countries |
| Philippines (near Manila) | First class graduating beginning 2024 | 33 students from 3 cities |
Graduates of the Zambia institute have returned to their home communities to provide hearing services. The Philippines institute is the foundation's second location, extending the training model to a new region.
Impact at a Glance
The foundation reports the following figures:
- 1.5 million+ hearing healthcare services provided to people in need worldwide
- 100+ countries reached
- 40+ years of work bringing hearing services to those who live in a silent world
How to Get Involved
The foundation's website offers a way to support its work through donations, which it says help "continue to spread the gift of hearing around the globe and create the next generation of hearing healthcare leaders through the Starkey Hearing Institute."
If you want to learn more about the training programs specifically, the foundation provides a dedicated page on the Starkey Hearing Institute.