The STARS Foundation

What The STARS Foundation does

The STARS Foundation is a non-profit fine and performing arts school founded in 2010 by Rebecca Peterson and headquartered in Cabool, Missouri. It serves youth and adults across six counties within a roughly 120-mile radius through instruction in music, dance, theater, art, and languages, and has produced 65 Broadway-style musicals since 2009. The organization operates from facilities in Cabool, Springfield, and West Plains.

Programs are delivered through individualized pacing and service-hour credit models that align with homeschool and community-service ecosystems, alongside ancillary offerings such as a botanical garden, taekwondo, language classes, and a Fun-Day Monday program. Annual Broadway productions function as both a programming outcome and a community engagement anchor.

Revenue is generated through tuition and family memberships, rental services spanning costumes, instruments, building space, and entertainment, and contributed income from donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants. A tiered corporate sponsorship program (ranging from $150 to $5,000+) includes named partners such as the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. The student base has grown from approximately 40 at founding to over 1,200 today. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees, indicating a lean operational footprint supported by teaching artists and volunteers.

Name

The STARS Foundation

Legal name

The STARS Foundation

Website

https://thestarsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The STARS Foundation is a Missouri-based non-profit fine and performing arts school founded in 2010, serving youth and adults across six counties from facilities in Cabool, Springfield, and West Plains with instruction in music, dance, theater, art, and languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Schools & Conservatory Prep (Pre-College) (EDAMANAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

Keywords

• Fine arts education
• Music instruction
• Dance programs
• Theatre training
• Arts education nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Cabool

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Membership Fees: Monthly tuition runs September through May with a $10/month family membership fee (or $5 with auto-payment). Community service hours can substitute for up to half of tuition (maximum 20 hours/month per student). This is the primary recurring revenue stream.
2. Rental Services: Instrument rentals ($10-$30 monthly based on instrument size), costume rentals (10,000+ costumes available), building space rentals ($250/day plus $75 kitchen fee), entertainment services ($150 first hour, $50 each additional half hour), and party hosting services.
3. Donations and Sponsorships: Non-profit organization funded by corporate sponsors, individual donors, and grants. Sponsorship tiers include STARS Musician ($5,000+), STARS Dancer ($2,500-$4,999), STARS Artist ($1,000-$2,499), STARS Actor ($500-$999), and smaller Friend of STARS categories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The STARS Foundation is a non-profit fine arts school that delivers personalized, immersion-style instruction in music (piano, vocal, brass, strings, woodwind, percussion), dance (Cecchetti Ballet, clogging, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, tap, tumbling, taekwondo), theatre, art and photography, and languages (ASL, Spanish, Russian, German, Korean) to youth and adults in rural Missouri. It supplements its instructional programs with rental services including instruments, costumes, building space, entertainment performances, and party hosting, and operates a therapeutic Botanical Garden for students and adults with illness and special needs.

Product overview

The STARS Foundation is a non-profit fine arts school offering a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary program for youth and adults. The core offering consists of five main programs: Music Lessons (piano, vocal, brass, strings, woodwind, percussion), Dance Programs (ballet, clogging, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, tap, tumbling, taekwondo), Theatre Programs, Art & Photography, and Language Instruction (Spanish, Sign Language, Russian, German, Korean), plus a Botanical Garden for therapeutic purposes. The foundation also operates several rental services including Costume Rentals (with Disney licensed productions), Instrument Rentals, Building Space Rentals, Entertainment Rentals (All-STARS performers), and Party Host Services. Additional programs include Fun-Day Monday for K-12 students. The organization operates from multiple locations in Cabool, Springfield, and West Plains, Missouri.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Music Lessons
• Dance Programs
• Theatre Programs
• Art & Photography
• Language Instruction
• Botanical Garden
• Costume Rentals
• Instrument Rentals
• Building Space Rentals
• Entertainment Rentals
• Party Host Services
• Fun-Day Monday Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Student enrollment grew from 40 to over 1,200 students in 12 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Springfield Symphony OrchestraminorOthersCorporate sponsor of The STARS Foundation. Listed among generous sponsors who support the organization's mission of providing fine arts education to the rural Missouri community.
• Springfield MusicminorOthersCorporate sponsor of The STARS Foundation. Supports the organization's music education programs and fine arts mission.
• Willow Health Care, Inc.minorOthersCorporate sponsor of The STARS Foundation. Supports the organization's community arts programming.
• FMC TransportminorOthersCorporate sponsor of The STARS Foundation. Supports the organization's mission to provide fine arts education in rural Missouri.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Guild for Community Arts Education: Industry membership organization supporting a national network of community-based arts education institutions, of which STARS is a representative rural example.

Direct peers

• Bach to Rock: Music education franchise teaching individual instruments plus band and ensemble work to youth, mirroring STARS' integration of group music performance into core programming.
• School of Rock: Largest music school franchise in the US offering performance-based music instruction across multiple instruments and group ensembles, directly comparable to STARS' music conservatory and orchestra offerings.
• KidzArt: Children's art education franchise offering studio and after-school fine arts programs, similar in scope and target audience to STARS' structured visual arts instruction.
• Stagecoach Performing Arts: Multi-discipline performing arts school for children offering singing, dance, and drama within a single integrated program, closely paralleling STARS' combined music, dance, and theater offering.
• Fred Astaire Dance Studios: Nationwide dance studio chain providing private and group dance lessons for all ages, directly comparable to STARS' multi-style dance conservatory curriculum and performance focus.
• Abrakadoodle: Mobile children's art education franchise delivering multi-medium visual arts programming, comparable to STARS' Art & Photography program for ages 5-10 and 10+ with structured syllabi.
• Arthur Murray International: Established dance studio franchise offering structured dance instruction across multiple styles for youth and adults, comparable to STARS' Cecchetti ballet, ballroom, and contemporary dance programs.

Emerging players

• TakeLessons: Online marketplace connecting students with private music, dance, and art instructors, representing a digital-distribution alternative to STARS' in-person rural delivery model.

Others

• YMCA: Community-based nonprofit offering youth and adult programming including arts enrichment in rural markets, sharing STARS' community-embedded, multi-program nonprofit operating model rather than its specific fine arts focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thestarsfoundation1
• Xx.com/calundberg1111

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The STARS Foundation