By Kelly Kraus-Lee | Grants Coordinator
As the seasons change, a new school year begins and along with that comes another great year of student achievement at Spark. With programming kicking off in all four of Spark’s regions over the past months, Spark has increased enrollment by more than 13 percent from 750 students served nationwide during the 2013-14 program year to 875 in 2014-15 program year. With a unique combination of workplace apprenticeships and school-based Leadership Curriculum, Spark engages young people during the crucial middle grades and sets them on track for success.
This fall, Spark’s CEO embarked on his inaugural stint as a Spark mentor with Isiah, a student from Chicago’s west side. Together, the pair is designing a mock-up of a new, student-geared Spark website. As a part of his project plan, Isiah surveyed his peers and, with Jason’s help, analyzed the data to determine what components students would most like to see on his new Spark site. In addition to working diligently on this hands-on Spark project, Jason and Isiah, are exploring and building key skills, such as networking and public speaking, that are crucial for success in today’s workforce. Back at school, Isiah is also working towards earning badges through Spark’s Leadership Curriculum. By completing a range of lessons and activities, Isiah can earn badges based on skills, such as teamwork or values, such as exploring your future that help him, his teachers, and his parents track his progress and celebrate his achievements throughout the program.
Across the country in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, and Philadelphia, Spark students like Isiah are gaining 21st century skills and developing hands-on projects with mentors from leading companies, including Cornerstone OnDemand, Deloitte, Google, and Twitter. Thank you to our supporters for making apprenticeships for under-resourced students across the country possible this program year. Follow the link below to Jason’s blog on his experience as a Spark mentor and let us know on Facebook and Twitter, have you had a mentor that has helped shape your future?
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