2. Welcome: The Spark Program
Spark’s mission is to create life-changing
apprenticeships for youth in under-served
communities across the United States.
Spark’s vision is that every young person
should have a bridge to a working professional,
to demonstrate the value of education.
3. A National Crisis
25% of students in the United
States drop out of high school
every year, averaging 7,000
each day.
Among Latino and African
American students in the
highest need neighborhoods
across the United States, the
dropout rate exceeds 50%.
Spark works with middle
school students who are at risk
of being part of this group
because of lack of engagement
in school, lack of available
resources, and socioeconomic
factors.
5. Self-Management
Self-Awareness
Social Awareness
Relationship
Skills
Responsibility
Students build
Social Emotional
Core
Competencies
Developing
Identity
Building
Community
Exploring Your
Future
Career
Readiness &
Exposure
Spark Program Framework
Positive
Academic
Behaviors
Attendance
Classroom
Behavior
Course
Performance
Long Term Impact
Individual
- Educational
Attainment
- Employable & Ready
for Work
Social Impact
- Drop out Prevention
- Workforce
Development
Source: Implementation Study
6. What is the Spark experience?
Concentrated:
Two hours per week for eight weeks; establish a
one-on-one relationship with a middle schooler
Active:
Expose students to your career through hands-on
activities leading to a final project
Local:
Invest in at-risk community youth without leaving
your workplace
Supported:
Spark staff provide orientation and weekly check-
ins to help you plan and troubleshoot
Connected:
Build your network of like-minded professionals at
our kick-off and culminating events
Long-term results:
Share your passion for your career to inspire the
next generation of your field
7. Apprenticeships:
The Mentor’s Experience
• Mentors are screened
• Mentors attend Orientation & Match Night
• Mentors are matched and meet their student
• Mentors host their apprenticeship for 2 hours a week
• Mentors check in with their Program Coordinator every week
• Mentors support their student at Discovery Night
8. How it works?
Program Logistics
Discovery Night: Early-mid December
Apprenticeships: October-December
Match Night: Early October
Orientation
9. How do I become a Mentor?
Fill out the Online Mentor Application
Spark staff member will follow up to take you
through our on boarding process, consisting of
Background check
Phone interview
Mentor Orientation
After completing the on boarding process you
will be told your student match!
10. What Mentors have said:
“You get to see how the kids enjoy what you do for a
living…it makes you love what you do even more.”
“I wouldn't expect to connect intellectually with such a
younger counterpart, but I found myself not only
enjoying our meetings but learning a lot from them!”
“My favorite part is learning from the student-we
grew up in two entirely opposite worlds, so it means
a lot to me to get to see the world through her eyes.
And at the same time let her see the world through
mine.”
LC focuses on three Spark themes: Developing IdentityBuilding CommunityExploring your FutureStudents build skills in networking, public speaking, team building, goal setting and communication skillsSkills students build: Self-ManagementSelf- AwarenessSocial AwarenessRelationship SkillsResponsibility
(CLICK)Spark’s mission is to provide life changing opportunities to students that will help them build the key skills to graduate from high school on time, achieve their career and educational goals, reduce the drop out rate and contribute to a workforce prepared for the 21st century (CLICK)In order to do this, we know that students – especially middle school students – need to be on track in school in three key ways: by attending class regularly and on time, by exhibiting positive classroom behaviors and by earning good grades (CLICK)So, how do we ensure students are able to do this? Research from the University of Chicago and other research consortiums has shown that there are key mindsets and beliefs that successful middle school students exhibit, and have organized these skills into a set of core social emotional competencies. These include:Self Management (things like self-control, grit, resilience, perseverance)Self Awareness (such as self confidence, knowing ones own strengths and challenges, etc)Social Awareness (a sense of belonging and empathy for one’s community)Relationship skills (the ability to build and maintain positive relationships, work on teams, etc)Responsibility (understanding how to make ethical and constructive decisions about one’s behavior) (CLICK)The Spark model builds these core competencies through engaging students in unique relationships with volunteer mentors and their classmates, a curriculum that encourages them to understand themselves as learners and community members and to make positive future goals for themselves.
Concentrated: Two hours per week for eight weeks; establish a one-on-one relationship with a middle schooler. Active: Expose students to your career through hands-on activities leading to a final project.Local: Invest in at-risk community youth without leaving your workplace. Supported: Spark staff provide orientation and weekly check-ins to help you plan and troubleshoot. Connected: Build your network of like-minded professionals at our kick-off and culminating events.Long-term results: Share your passion for your career to inspire the next generation of your field.
The only piece missing is program timeline details – we may not have specific dates but we can talk about James Lick (institutional knowledge; leadership, impact with quotes) and general timeline (September – orientation, October to December – Apprenticeships, and DN/CD – December)Please clarify multi-student placement?
