Spark: Empowering Youth with Real-World Opportunities

Spark Featured on Youth Radio Blog!

2010-05-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

Spark It!

Whatever happened to apprenticeships? We might remember apprentices from old-school wizard movies, but it seems like we barely see apprenticeships in real life anymore. Back in the day, apprenticeships were one of the most important ways young people could learn valuable trade skills. Basically, a youngblood would shadow an older expert in a particular trade- which could include anything from cooking, farming and carpentry to music and sculpture. Apprenticeship was a great way for young people who couldn't necessarily afford to stay in school to learn valuable job skills while increasing future earning potential..

For more about the story at the Youth Radio blog, go here!

Upcoming Discovery Nights!

2010-04-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Spark Supporters,

Please join us for the Spring 2010 Discovery Nights in San Francisco, Redwood City, or Los Angeles! Discovery Night is Spark's graduation ceremony where students teach back the new skills they have learned during their apprenticeships through interactive presentations. Join us for these fun and inspiring events!

San Francisco
Denman Middle
Tuesday, May 11th
6:00-8:30pm
241 Oneida Ave, San Francisco

Presidio Middle School
Wednesday, May 12th
6:00-8:30pm
450 30th Ave, San Francisco

Redwood City
Garfield School
Tuesday, May 4th
6:00-8:30pm
3600 Middlefield Rd, Menlo Park

Hoover School
Monday, May 10th
6:00-8:30pm
701 Charter St, Redwood Cit

Los Angeles
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy
Wednesday, June 2
5:30-8:00pm
635 South Harvard Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90005

We hope to see you there!

AT Anastasia Faiella Featured in SFGate!

2010-04-22T11:14:00.001-07:00

Spark AT Anastasia Faiella, an interior designer, recently debuted at the San Francisco Decorator Showcase, and the exposure from that showcase lead to her being asked to makeover a South of Market loft.

This is what the client had to say about Faiella's work:

"Her showcase work was really bold," said the young woman, a first-time homeowner. "I tend to go for stripes and solids, but she's able to get bold, repetitious patterns into her designs that include a lot of curves that really soften up the room."

Go here for more about Anastasia Faiella and her incredible work on this loft!

Here Anastasia works with her student Lauren, a 7th grader.

The smiling Anastasia and Lauren!

"Lighting a Fire in At-Risk Youth": Highlights from a Recent Article

2010-04-15T10:29:00.001-07:00

Here are some excerpts taken from a recent article written by Jenny Perez:

"Take Eduardo Zavaleta for example, a thirteen year old whom last semester apprenticed a marine biologist at Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve and this year is learning the ropes by assisting the architects at Peterson Architects. Does he want to be a marine biologist or an architect? Maybe. He definitely is interested in math and science and is currently learning to operate a computer program that allows for architects to begin sketching projects. In Eduardo’s own words, the reason to join Spark is 'to learn about a job you might do when you grow up and what you have to do to get there.'"

[...]

"Spark couples each student’s internship experience with weekly sessions in a wide variety of professional skills like networking, communication, and confidence building. Think Toastmasters for seventh and eighth graders. According to Spark’s founders there are existing programs that target at-risk high school students, but they say that waiting until high school is just too late to make a lasting impact. Their intention is to intervene early in a child’s life and help them 'to see the value of school and build motivation for personal and academic success.'

One of Spark’s graduates is a prime example. Christian Cruz, age 14 and a student at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, now helps facilitate Spark Leadership Curriculum and serves on their Board of Directors as a Youth Advisor. He explains, 'I like to see kids have an opportunity to develop themselves.' Spark not only offers students a chance to get hands-on exposure in a chosen area of interest but also aids hugely in confidence building. Christian describes 'Discovery Night' that Spark puts on at the end of each semester where students display and present what they have learned at their internship. In Christian’s case he had the wonderful opportunity to learn the art of local cartoonist Shepherd Hendrix 'who taught me how to use many different tools for creating and drawing.'"

[...]

"Isn’t this what we want for all our children? I think so. But to say it so loudly and clearly at age 14 lets me know that Spark has truly made an impact in this young man’s life.

Recently awarded the prestigious Ashoka Fellowship, Balme, Spark’s Executive Director, has been recognized as a forward thinking social entrepreneur who has created a program with 'innovative solutions to social problems, and the potential to change patterns across society.'

I can think of no greater way to change the future of our country then to help open a young student’s mind to professional and personal opportunity they might never have encountered otherwise. Spark recruits and trains willing community members, connects them with students who in turn see the value of school and build motivation for personal and academic success. According to the first study on Spark’s outcomes, 55 of 56 students enrolled in Spark, remained enrolled in high school. This is a 98.2% retention rate, a rate significantly higher than that of their non-Spark peers.

Please contact Spark if you are interested in becoming a supporter, a volunteer Apprentice Teacher, or know a student in your community who would benefit from Spark’s unique apprenticeship model."

Spark has begun expansion to Los Angeles!

2010-04-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

Spark Los Angeles

After five years of successful programming and growth in the San Francisco Bay Area, Spark launched its first Los Angeles program in March 2010. The pilot program will launch with an an estimated 40-48 students, with the long-term goal of reaching 500 students annually by 2013.

Spark Los Angeles's first group of students are at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, PUC (Partnerships to Uplift Communities). They are apprenticing at companies including Fox and Disney Interactive, in fields including Videogame Design, Performing Arts, Animal Care, Fashion Desgin, and Law, Government & Safety!

The first ever Spark Los Angeles Discovery night, an exciting community event where students will teach-back what they've learned at their apprenticeships, will be held on June 2nd.

Spark Student Helps Out SF Historical Society

2010-03-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

Yami is a 7th grader in San Francisco who's already a Spark celebrity. Her Fall apprenticeship at Mama's Bakery with Felicia Sanchez was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle in December 2009! This year, Yami has decided to explore her interest in local history with Kristin Morris at the San Francisco Historical Society!

Here's what Kristin has to say about Yami: “Yami is a pleasure to work with. She soaks up information like a sponge and is genuinely excited about history. For her project, Yami will be publishing material from our recent exhibit onto the FoundSF history wiki. She chose the topic and is particularly interested in how the web can be used to share history with people. I am delighted to have Yami on board and to know that her contributions will make an immediate impact on the city’s historical record.”

Link to the San Francisco Chronicle Article: http://tinyurl.com/Spark-SFChronicle

All smiles during AT Orientation Week!

2010-03-17T12:31:00.001-07:00

Here's a thumbs up for AT Orientation Week from Apprentice Teacher Max Albee and student John Ray who will be working together on an Art apprenticeship!

Apprentice Teacher Paul Serapio is with his crew! Paul will be working with students Ruben and Angel on a Music apprenticeship!

Looking cozy with her AT is Cassandra! She will be working with Apprentice Teacher Gail Wade on a Performing Arts apprenticeship!

"Day of Action" today!

2010-03-04T14:41:00.000-08:00

Students, teachers, and supporters alike gathered together to protest at various schools such as UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and other schools around the Bay Area. They voiced frustration over the declining funding for California's Public Education system.

The main concern of the protests is that students' education is currently suffering by the cuts in the budget.

Rallies and protests were also planned in other states with major budget cuts.

Overall, the protests have been peaceful and non-violent, and have been avenues of expression for those angered by the budget cuts. For instance, one student at UC Berkeley expressed, "Today we march! Today we strike! Today we show solidarity with workers! Today the crisis has brought us all together. Public education is a human right we'll fight for to the death!"

Student drums a groovy beat!

2010-02-25T12:41:00.000-08:00

One student, Jonathan, had a great time with his Apprentice Teacher, Danny, who showed him a great deal of excellent drumming, as well as the value of a good education. Spark matched the two together and created a wonderful combination of excitement, musicality, and knowledge. Here they are drumming together.

You, too, can be an Apprentice Teacher and inspire middle school students in your career! If you're interested, please click on "Volunteer Sign-Up" located under the "Volunteers" tab on the Spark website, or contact us at volunteer@sparkprogram.org.

Spark is currently recruiting Apprentice Teachers!

2010-02-18T15:16:00.000-08:00

Sign up to be an Apprentice Teacher today! You will have the opportunity to open doors for a local middle-school student by sharing your career! Apprenticeships are at the core of Spark, giving students hands-on experience in a field of their interest. By being an Apprentice Teacher, you can take on a middle-school Apprentice who dreams of working in your profession. Teach your Apprentice about your field and work together to create a small "teach back" project to be presented at the Discovery Night, Spark's version of a graduation celebration.

Spark's goal is to empower students with the knowledge that they can pursue their interests, connect with community members, and discover why education will help them toward realizing their dreams. As an Apprentice Teacher, you can help to re-engage students in their education by giving them the opportunity to learn about their dream career, connect with a student who shares your passion, and help motivate and empower students to take hold of their future at a pivotal point in their lives.

Apprentice Teachers accept a Spark student into their workplace for 2-6 hours per week. Students come to you for their apprenticeship, getting real-world, hands-on experience in your field. Don't have an office? No problem. Spark can also arrange for a school-based apprenticeship.

The Spring 2010 session is from the week of March 8 through the week of May 10. During that time, apprenticeships take place on Mondays (in San Francisco) or Thursdays (in Redwood City) for up to 2 hours between 1:30pm and 6pm. You will also be asked to attend an Orientation the week of March 8 and a Discovery Night in May.

Spark students have apprenticed at exciting workplaces from veterinary clinics to pilot's cockpits, interior design firms to photography studios. Our students are interested in professions from across the board, so we'd love to hear from you! No prior experience is required, and we provide training to help volunteers develop a structured project for their Apprentice. If you're interested, please click "Volunteer Sign-Up" located under the “Volunteers” tab on the Spark website, or contact us at volunteer@sparkprogram.org.

Spark's Chris Balme Wins Prestigious Ashoka Fellowship!

2010-02-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

Chris Balme, Spark's Executive Director, recently won the prestigious Ashoka Fellowship, among the highest honors for social entrepreneurs in the world. In recognition of Spark's innovative approach to combating the dropout crisis, this award puts Spark among the leading nonprofits worldwide recognized for having innovative solutions to social problems, and the potential to change patterns across society.

We are thrilled and humbled by this honor, and see it as true testament to the importance of our mission to provide life-changing apprenticeships to underserved youth across the United States.

Visit www.askoka.org to learn more Ashoka.

Spark featured on SF Public Schools Blog!

2010-02-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

Making School Relevant to Students Through One-on-one Apprenticeships

by YourSFPublicSchools Team ~ February 3rd, 2010

A Spark Student Apprentice from Presidio Middle School works in the medical field with an Apprentice Teacher.

By The Spark Team

When education budget cuts threaten to decrease funding and other resources for already struggling public schools throughout the Bay Area, it’s important to develop creative problem-solving strategies and explore untapped resources. Spark does this by leveraging what was before a largely underutilized supply of individuals who can volunteer at their own workplaces. In the Bay Area, and in cities throughout the country, there are thousands of people who can fill in the gaps left by a struggling economy. These people are me, you, and everyone we know—working individuals who have followed a career path, and can share that experience with a young person struggling in school. Spark recruits and trains these willing community members, connects them with students, and, in the process, draws new volunteers into the education system. Our volunteer Apprentice Teachers play an important role in motivating at-risk students in our community to see school as a vehicle for setting and achieving positive goals.

We connect adults working in every imaginable field with at-risk students who are struggling to understand the relevance of their education. Meet Gloria and Erica, a Spark Apprentice and Apprentice Teacher pair who underscore Spark’s ability to engage and inspire young students while tapping into the vast resource of professional volunteer mentors in the Bay Area.

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The Apprentice
The most important thing I learned during Spark is that no one can ever tell you that you can never work at your dream job. School has changed for me because now I work harder to get to my dream job as a person in the medical field. The thing that surprised me the most about my apprenticeship was how much people welcome you and how much they care about what you want.

My mentor Erica talked to me about what she did in college and what I have to do if I wanted to specialize in the medical field. I think that if I try hard enough I will be able to achieve that dream.

Gloria – 7^th Grade Spark Apprentice, Presidio Middle School

The Apprentice Teacher

“I work as a nurse practitioner at San Francisco General Hospital in orthopedics. I love my job, I love teaching, and I love being around youth.

I was personally drawn to Spark because, growing up, I had all kinds of ideas in my head as to what I wanted “to be.” I was lucky to have opportunities to enroll in classes and camps to figure out who I was. Now that I am “grown up” I can look back and see how important all those experiences were in molding me into the individual that I am today, one who’s content and finds much passion in my work. I really wanted to contribute that same “spark” to a student, and help mold him/her into the person they will become.

I really had a very positive experience with my dear student, Gloria. The experience was manageable and rewarding. A few hours a week is nothing in influencing our future generation to excel and set positive life goals. Gloria and I still keep in touch. Sometimes I think I learned more from her…

Erica Eshoo – Spark Apprentice Teacher, Fall 2009

Post found here.

Student blogger: Cathy, 8th grader

2009-12-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

Spark students will now share their apprenticeship experiences on our blog! Meet Cathy, an eighth grader at Garfield Charter School in Redwood City who is apprenticing with the Redwood City Police Department.

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A day in my apprenticeship is sitting in a car, watching to see if there's people speeding, talking on a phone, not wearing a seatbelt and things that cause a major problems so we can give those people a ticket. Yup, my apprenticeship is with a Police Officer, and my apprentice teacher is Brian Carpenter. So far I'm really enjoying my apprenticeship, because I get to learn some of the codes police officers use, also the areas they work in. Last week, we stopped a lady for talking on a phone. We also went to this lake where an old lady recently disappeared. It's a really tough job to do because of what they see, but it comes with a lot of perks.

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If you want to see more of what our students have been up to, join us for tonight & tomorrow's Discovery Nights!

December 15, 5:30-8 p.m.

Hoover School, 701 Charter St., Redwood City

December 16, 5:30-8 p.m.

Garfield Charter School, 3600 Middlefield Rd., Menlo Park

Hope to see you there!

Student blogger: Carlos, 7th grader

2009-12-10T15:54:00.000-08:00

Spark students will now share their apprenticeship experiences on our blog! Meet Carlos, a 7th grader at Hoover. Carlos' dream is to ultimately be able to build a house for his mother, so this semester, he's working at a construction site in Palo Alto.

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So far in Spark I've learned a lot of cool things working in construction. One of the cool things I've learned is how to measure things. First, you need to measure the height and width of the walls. I have also learned that there are many parts of a door including the door itself, the door knob, the latch and the hinge. It looks easy but it's difficult.

What I like about Spark is working at the actual building site. At first I thought my AT was going to be at Hoover. What I'm planning on showing at Discovery Night is putting up all of the work we did. I will put up the sketch I made for my mother's house and then we are going to present a slideshow of what we did. If there is time I will also build a model of my mom's house.

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Interested in hearing more from our students? Attend one of our Discovery Nights! In Spark's "graduation ceremony," students will teach back what they learned during their apprenticeships. In addition to Carlos' construction apprenticeships, other areas include photography, jewelry design, dentistry, and comedy, so guests can expect to learn a lot from these kids!

Discovery Nights, Dec. 14-16, 5:30-8 p.m.

San Francisco

Dec. 14: Presidio Middle School, 450 30th Ave

Redwood City

Dec. 15 Hoover School, 701 Charter St.

Dec. 16: Garfield Charter School, 3600 Middlefield Rd., Menlo Park

Student blogger: Christy, 8th grader

2009-12-08T10:13:00.000-08:00

Spark students will now share their apprenticeship experiences on our blog! Meet Presidio 8th grader Christy, who is currently learning the ins and outs of social work with Kim Gillenberg-Castillo from Mabini Health Center.

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My first day at the apprentice place might look like a community building.

I'm going to take the bus there.

I'm going to wear a t-shirt and jeans.

I think it would smell fine, but like a little how a doctor's office smells.

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Keep posted for more student blogs as well as details about our upcoming Discovery Nights!

Student blogger: Emily, 8th grader

2009-12-04T10:33:00.001-08:00

Spark students will now share their apprenticeship experiences on our blog! Meet Emily, an eighth grader at Presidio Middle School who is currently learning about business, communications, marketing, and educational development with Liz Kroboth, product director at Socratic Technologies.

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I would be at a library probably on a Saturday after school. I will be meeting Liz, who communicates a lot with people and she does research on surveys and other research. Since we'll be working at the library, it will be quiet and peaceful. It will probably smell like books or old musty books. I love communicating with people and doing research. And this is why I picked this. I'm interested about meeting my apprentice teacher again and communicating with her. I get to do some research with her and she told me about how she dresses for her work. I'm most nervous about being with my apprenticeship teacher and I'm nervous about what I will be talking about when I'm with her.

On the first day, I will be working with apprentice teacher Liz at a library. We will be communicating a lot and sharing our interests. I won't be at her office since we will be working on Saturday.

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Keep posted for more blogs from our students and news about upcoming Discovery Nights!

Student blogger: Josh, 8th grader

2009-11-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

Spark students will now share their apprenticeship experiences on our blog! Meet Josh, an 8th grader at Presidio Middle School who is learning all about the technical aspect of music production as he works with Hideki Yamashita at Pyramind.

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For the first day, I took the bus there.

As I walk off the bus, I feel relief. Humming a tune by mine, I walk off Geary towards the Mason Center. The studio is close by. One the way, I remember why I love the city. A mildly unpleasant smell reaches me, and I stop. Coincidentally, I'm outside the studio. I walk in, and Dex is waiting for me. His expression is unique, a bizarre mix of anticipation and discomfort.

We greet, and he says, "I found a composer to talk to you."

"Great," I say, and he brings me into the "lab."

He has a very thin smile, his discomfort is obvious. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to talking to him. An hour later, our time is up, and I leave. It is dark, and I feel glad my dad is there to pick me up. We pull onto Geary. The lights are all green. It's vaguely pretty, and a nice bit of symbolism. We go home.

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Keep posted for more blogs from our students!

Student blogger: Gloria, 7th grader

2009-11-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

Spark students will now share their apprenticeship experiences on our blog! Meet Gloria, a 7th grader at Presidio who is learning about nursing as she apprentices San Francisco General Hospital nurse Erica Eshoo.

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I imagine myself working in an old and brick clinic. I would meet up with Erica and she would introduce me to her coworkers. The place would smell like medicine or paperwork. I would be nervous that I might get lost on the way there (on the bus). I am excited about meeting new people and getting to work with something I am very interested about.

In the first day she would meet me outside over her office, then I would introduce myself properly. After that she would show me around the hospital and introduce me to her coworkers. After that she would bring me to her office and tell me some things about her job. Then we would work on a project together like maybe researching some medicines that are not tested on animals.

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Keep posted for more blogs from our students! In the meantime -- check out Sugar Rush recap & photos from Leanna Yip of the SF Appeal here!

Student blogger: Raul, 8th grader

2009-11-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

Spark students are now sharing their apprenticeship experiences on our blog! Meet Raul, an 8th grader at Hoover Middle School in Redwood City who is now in his second semester at Spark. This term, he is learning all about law enforcement.

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My experience at Spark has certainly turned out to be very influential to my life and well-being. What I learned from my apprenticeship is what it takes to have a career in law enforcement.

What I learned from this experience is that the police car has various features that a regular car does not. What I liked about the apprenticeship is that the career itself is both stable and interesting because I could get paid pretty well and its something that I really want to do in life.

What I liked about the first week was the tour of the police station, because we saw the shooting range, briefing room and the old jail and so on. When we were actually patrolling the streets of Redwood City, I instantly knew that this was a career that I want to pursue.

The second week was better than the first because the officer told me about the crime rate in Redwood City, which has dropped by 10% during the past 3 years. There was also more action the second week because there was one call where a guy was mad because one of his former friends was kicking and punching his car. Also, there was a call on a suspicious person walking back and forth around a building complex.

One of my goals for Spark is to learn fluently about what a day in law enforcement would be like, how a police car works and how police officers are trained. In general, my experience in the Spark program has turned out to be a blissful one!

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Keep posted for more posts from our students!

Student blogger: Leslie, 7th grader

2009-11-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

Spark students will now share their apprenticeship experiences on our blog! Meet Hoover Middle School 7th grader Leslie, who is currently doing an apprenticeship with HIP Housing counselor Carolyn Moore.

Leslie's self-portrait!

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Why This Job: I feel that I’m really good in that, and I’ve chosen that throughout my hard child life. I’m good in getting into hearts even though I got an early age.

Why I’m excited: Finding out what are the first steps to do in a situation.

One thing that makes me nervous: If she’s going to be serious, and hard to talk to. I want my apprenticeship to be exciting and most of all really interesting and I also want to hear stories from the psychologist that may help me in my future. I also want my apprenticeship teacher to be excited to work with me because I’m excited and it would be cool when we’re both passing through the same emotions. I want my teacher to be full of fun stuff to do and especially to be my kindred spirit and finally talk to someone that has had the same goals as me.

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Keep posted for more posts from our students!

Spark in the News!

2009-10-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

Spark is featured in SF Examiner!

"Every kid has a dream. The trick is empowering each child to live it."

-- Jodi Freedman, SF Tween Education Examiner

A middle school teacher for close to 20 years, SF Tween Education Examiner Jodi Freedman knows the importance of getting kids off on the right foot when it comes to education. Check out the article here!

Kicking off Fall Semester

2009-10-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Fall semester has officially begun!

We're excited to work again with students at Hoover and Garfield middle schools in Redwood City and Presidio Middle School in San Francisco. This term, for the first time, we're also working with students at James Denman Middle School.

The Spark team has been hard at work -- let's take a look at what Fall Semester has in store for some of our students!

Gino will be learning the ropes of stand-up comedy
Kanani will shadow a photographer
Maria will learn what it takes to be a jewelry designer
Johnathan joins the rhythm section as he works with a drummer
Fabiana shadows a dentist

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A couple of photos from our past semesters!

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This fall, some Spark students will also share their experiences on the Spark blog! Keep posted!

Get ready for Sugar Rush 2009!

2009-10-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

Calling all foodies and Spark supporters: Spark presents its third annual Sugar Rush!

Thursday, November 12

Support Spark with tasty treats and flavorful fare -- with unlimited tastings from some of San Francisco's best restaurants, feel no guilt reaching for that second, third, or even fourth helping of dessert as you support Spark's mission for youth empowerment.

Dine on delicious foods from:

- Boulevard

- Chez Panisse

- Michael Mina

- Range

- Humphry Slocombe

- Recchiuti Confections

- Sibby's Cupcakery

...and other local restaurants!

We'll also hold a silent auction featuring round-trip airfare on Jet Blue, get-away and entertainment packages, and more.

Sugar Rush 2009

Thursday, November 12, 7-9 p.m.

111 Minna Gallery

111 Minna St
San Francisco, CA 94105

Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door. Discount group packages available. Contact: Von Diaz at vdiaz@sparkprogram.org or 415-626-5470, x110 for more information.

Meet Gino, Spark's Future Willy Wonka

2009-08-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

In honor of our upcoming Ice Cream Social, we thought you should get to know the budding brain behind Recchiuti Chocolates this summer...

Spark Student Gino!

Gino is a rising 8th grade student who is passionate about two things: comedy and cooking! For that reason, his apprenticeship in the kitchen at Recchiuti Confection s, is an ideal match. He is learning about the math involved in making perfect chocolate - including the exact weights and temperatures required. He been preparing mouth-watering delights such as bacon toffee and chocolate ganache, and has the chance to practice his comedy routines on the lively kitchen staff.

Gino's been having a blast these past three weeks, filling their days with chocolate tastings and experimental recipes. Gino & Angelica are in their last week at Recchiuti and from what we hear, they're cooking up a huge surprise for his Discovery Week presentation this Thursday.

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In addition to working with Gino, Recchiuti will be hosting an Ice Cream Social benefit for Spark! 100% of proceeds from the event will benefit our youth apprenticeship programs.
Visit www.recchiuti.com for more details and to buy tickets!

Last Discovery Nights of Summer '09

2009-08-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

The culminating event of our summer has arrived (more like, sprinted forward and snuck up on us):

Discovery Night!

These Discovery Nights are the last of our summer sessions, and we're closing out some of our most exciting apprenticeships. Our Redwood City and San Francisco students will present their projects, made in collaboration with their apprenticeship teachers, to an audience of family, friends and supporters.
For some of our kids, this is their first time giving a presentation to an audience.

Discovery Nights are my favorite way of seeing the best of Spark: our proud students showcasing their newfound skills. Maybe they'll teach you something new, too!

We're having two Discovery Nights in the coming weeks:

San Francisco
Thursday, August 13th
6:00-8:00pm
St. John's Presbyterian - 25 Lake Street (Lake St at Arguello)

Redwood City
Thursday, August 20th
6:00-8:00pm
Hoover School, 701 Charter St, Redwood City

Hope to see you there!

Spark & Recchiuti Host Ice Cream Social!

2009-08-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal:
We'll let you run around a chocolate factory, make unlimited sundaes, stuff your face with bonbons, and play with a chocolate-enrobing machine with the coolest kids in the Bay Area.

All you have to do is come hungry.
Sound good?

Spark student Gino & Recchiuti Confections
coordially invite you to our

Ice Cream Social!
Saturday, August 22nd

Recchiuti Confections is giving Spark and our supporters an all-access pass to their amazing factory for an afternoon of sweets.
You'll enjoy:

A Saturday Sundae Bar
Bon-bon Bonanza
Fizzy Lifting Ice Cream Sodas
Make-Your-Own Treats with the Chocolate-Enrobing Machine
A Sweet Silent Auction
A Kiddie Table

& so much more!

100% of the proceeds will benefit Spark's youth apprenticeship programs.

When: Saturday, August 22nd
2:30pm - 4:30 pm
Where: Recchiuti Kitchen
in the Dogpatch District of San Francisco

Our Ice Cream social is Reservation Only, so be sure to save a spot for you and a friend!
Click here to purchase tickets and learn more about this tasty event.

State Senator Praises his Spark Student

2009-07-30T14:36:00.001-07:00

Spark students aren't the only ones rewarded through our Apprenticeship Program!

Here, a Spark Apprentice Teacher shares her and the State Senator Joe Simitian's heartfelt sentiments for their summer apprentice Fielani during her Discovery Night graduation.

"I’ve had the pleasure of working with many young people who have either interned or volunteered in our office, but Fielani stands out among them for her intelligence and intellectual curiosity.
She understood complex policy issues, asked thoughtful questions and displayed a level of maturity that I haven’t seen in someone her age.
In short, Fielani was a pleasure to work with. I hope she chooses a career in public service. Government could use more people like her.

Fielani, you’re a star!

State Senator Joe Simitian and our entire staff wish you nothing but the best."
- Hema Mohan, Spark Apprentice Teacher
District Director for State Senator Joe Simitian

Fielani and Ms. Mohan developed a great working relationship during her apprenticeship and plan to keep in touch as Fielani moves into high school this fall. We're so proud of Fielani, and all of our 1st Summer Session Graduates.

Keep an eye out for this future senator!

Be a Spark Student for a Day!

2009-07-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

We asked what you'd be if Spark connected you with your dream job. Now you have the chance to live a day in the shoes of a Spark student!

Spark presents...

Spark Apprenticeship Tours

Spark Student Annie with Google SF Chef

Our Development Director, Julie McGuire, invites anyone and everyone to visit a Spark apprenticeship and get a sneak peek of our students' point of view. Spark students and Apprentice teachers let the public in on the action for a day, as they develop a final project for Discovery Night.

Spark Apprenticeship Tours will visit:

San Francisco

Geno's cooking apprenticeship in the Recchiuti Confections kitchen
Christian's public policy apprenticeship in Assemblywoman Fiona Ma's Office
Dylan's structural engineering apprenticeship
Tiffany's alternative energy apprenticeship

Redwood City

Ubaldo's chef apprenticeship at Studio Cake with Food Network challenger chef BethAnn Golderg
Jose's pilot apprenticeship at the West Valley Flying Club
Annel's animal care apprenticeship at the Palo Alto Children's Museum and Zoo

For San Francisco Tours:
DATE: August 4th or 5th
TIME: 2:00-3:30 pm
LOCATION: TBD - information provided upon RSVP
RSVP: jmcguire@sparkprogram.org

For Redwood City Tours:
DATE: August 11th or 12th
TIME: 2:00-3:30 pm
LOCATION: TBD - information provided upon RSVP
RSVP: jmcguire@sparkprogram.org

We're psyched to offer these tours to anyone interested in learning first-hand what Spark is all about!

Contact Julie McGuire at jmcguire@sparkprogram.org, or (415) 626-5470, x103 to RSVP, or for more information.

One door closes, another opens!

2009-07-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

Last week's Discovery Nights wrapped up our first summer sessions. We saw some amazing presentations, including live makeovers, delicious student-made flan and making homemade comets!

We jumped right into our 2nd Summer session of apprenticeships just last week, but before we spotlight our second wave of rockstars...

A photo recap on our 1st Summer Session Spark Graduates!

Congrats, Spark Grads!

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More from Spark:

Spark Student & Apprentice Teacher Blog Together!

2009-07-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

Spark student Jian is completing an apprenticeship in graphic design. Looks like Jian's already learned a lot in the past week, and even got to have some cupcakes and hang out with a cute dog. Check out their blog for more details: http://graphicbandits.com/

Sponsor an Apprenticeship! Please visit Spark's student sponsorship page to learn more about the exciting apprenticeships that Spark students are completing. Without the generosity of supporters and community members, students like Jian could not afford to participate in Spark's youth empowerment programs.

The Fruits of their Labor: Discovery Nights!

2009-07-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

Can you believe the first summer sessions are over?

But with the end of a session comes my absolute favorite part of the Spark Program:
Discovery Night!

We're so proud to announce Discovery Nights, our "graduation ceremony" where students teach back what they've learned to an audience of friends, family and community supporters. Discovery Night is a great opportunity to see the powerful effect our apprenticeships have on our students.

For many of our students, this is the first time they've ever presented to a group. We'll have some great presentations by our students, such as on-stage cooking, hair & make-up demonstrations... even some live dog training by our student at K-9 Playtime!

We have two lined up this week, one each in San Francisco and Redwood City. The event is open to all curious community members!

San Francisco Discovery Night
Wednesday, July 15th, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
John Muir Elementary School
380 Webster St.
San Francisco, CA 94177

Redwood City Discovery Night
Thursday, July 16th, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Hoover School
701 Charter St.
Redwood City, CA 94063

Generous family and community members will provide food -- feel free to contribute.
The Spark team will be in full force. See you there!

Thoughtfully-Pondering Faces, Activate!

2009-07-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Our Redwood City students had quite a thoughtful day at the San Jose Tech Museum last week. Check out our Spark kids in their natural learning habitat: experimenting, exploring...

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The Latest from Spark:

Take the Mic, Senator Fielani

2009-07-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you chased down a rogue reporter to fix a state senator's reputation?

That's just a day in the life of 14-year-old Fielani's Spark apprenticeship with Hema Mohan, the District Director for CA State Senator Joe Simitian.

It started out as a normal apprenticeship day, with Fielani shadowing Ms. Mohan's daily tasks... Then Ms. Mohan got a call: A local TV news reporter was spreading damaging claims about Senator Simitian and his relationship with the media.

It was go, go, go for Fielani, Ms. Mohan and her team the rest of that day -- they brought Fielani along to literally trace the reporter's tracks and hunt down the truth. Fielani and her apprentice teachers were in the office when the afternoon news came on, and they watched together as the reporter broadcast the negative claims Fielani's team had been working to fix!

"It was really surprising and a huge lesson for me - I guess, just another day in the life of a senator!" said Fielani.

How close is Fielani to reaching her sponsorship goal of $890?
Click here to read more about Fielani & learn how to donate!

Fielani's Law, Government & Safety apprenticeship is just a complement to her natural political flair. Check out future-Senator Fielani advocating for genetic research at the San Jose Tech Museum, during the Redwood City students' Community Quest.

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Google's Newest Pastry Chef: Annie

2009-06-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

How would you like to learn tips & tricks from the chefs at Google?

That's what Spark student Annie from San Francisco is up to this summer. Annie's studying under the refined pastry chefs at the tech conglomerate's main kitchen.

Annie is a rising 8th grade student with a great sense of humor, and an insatiable sweet tooth. She'll be is working with Google chefs Ken Fair and Amy Pearce in the locally renowned Google San Francisco kitchen. Amy was previously the pastry chef at Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco, so Annie is thrilled to be working hands-on alongside her.

Annie has already started over at Google, but still needs help gathering donations for her apprenticeship.

How far is Annie from reaching her goal of $890?
Click here to learn more about Annie and help sponsor her apprenticeship!

(See yesterday's blog for a simple breakdown of how to sponsor Spark students.)

Supporting Spark in 3 Simple Steps

2009-06-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

Summer programs are full steam ahead, and we're loving getting to meet the new apprentices. The students get brighter and more ambitious every semester.

Thanks to the power of technology, our website makes it easier than ever to learn more about, and give back to, our new apprentices.

You can support the Spark student of your choice in
3 easy steps:

1. Select

Click on the green "Sponsor an Apprenticeship" button at the top of our homepage.
This will take you to our Sponsorship page, where you can search for students according to your preference, or simply scroll down and read what all of our apprentices are up to.
Click the students' "Sponsor Me" button to submit a money donation of your choice.

2. Register

Sign-up for a free account with Spark to complete your transaction.
No e-mail sharing or spam -- we promise!

3. Checkout

We made donating to Spark both easy and secure with Google Checkout. Confirm and submit your donation with your Gmail account -- you'll receive a receipt and confirmation e-mail shortly after.

Congratulations: You've just started a Spark!
What are you waiting for? Click on any of the images above to get started!

We'd love to hear from you -- Send us your comments:
How can we improve the donation process? What are some great ways to get our word out?

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More Spark News:

Why We Do This: Spark Video 2009

2009-06-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

When the cold calls get cranky,
when our inboxes seem endless,
when we've hit a wall in our day and can't bear to write another grant...

Videos like these bring it all back.

See more like this at our Youtube Channel!

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More Reasons to Love Spark:

What's your dream job?

2009-06-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

Here at Spark, we have a tradition at each Monday morning Staff Meeting:

To ask an off-topic, round-table question.

Its purpose, as our Executive Director Chris Balme says, is to "make everyone present in the room." (Cause we've all had our fair share of morning meetings where we were there, but not really there!)

A few weeks ago, Chris posed a Spark favorite:

"If you went back in time and became a Spark Student,
what kind of apprenticeship would you want?"

Our Spark team would have wanted Apprentice Teachers for actresses, pop divas, magazine editors, civil engineers -- we even have an aspired hip-hop artist/shoe designer!

Now, we want to know what kind of mentor you would've asked us to hook you up with.

A pastry chef? A WWI bomber pilot?

We want YOUR answer!

Rewind to those gloriously awkward middle-school days, and be honest:
What kind of Spark apprenticeship would you have wanted?

Comment below!

Summer Programs are Underway!

2009-06-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

This is the week we've all been working towards:

The 1st Week of Summer Programs!

It's a little quieter than usual here at the office -- Our Program Coordinators, the main brains behind summer recruitment, are out n' about, checking out our new apprenticeships. Spark Students in San Francisco and Redwood City are engaging in hands-on career experiences as you read this, right now!

Our Spark students have outdone themselves with the breadth of awesome careers they want to follow. We're proud to report 100% match-ups: Every student accepted to the summer program has been matched with an Apprentice Teacher of their choice!

From now until July 17th, students are studying under:

Firefighters
Lawyers
Pastry Chefs
Politicians
Travel Agents
Cosmetologists
A Chinese Scholar

...And lots more!

Also, the Development Team is lining up great guest posts from Program Coordinators, Apprentice Teachers, and our main event: Spark alumni and current Spark students themselves.

Stay tuned (or else)!

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The Latest at Spark:

Spark's Executive Director named Top 40 Leaders Under 40!

2009-06-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

We're so excited to share the news:

Our Executive Director,
Chris Balme,
was recently named one of the New Leaders Council's 2009 Top 40 Leaders Under 40!

Chris was chosen from a national pool of over 300 nominations. Says the NLC website:

"The 40 Under 40 Awards were created by New Leaders Council to help recognize the hard work of a diverse group of young leaders including elected officials, inspiring community organizers, as well as non-profit and policy leaders who exemplify the spirit of progressive political entrepreneurship."

We're so proud of Chris, of his dedication, passion and the amazing strides he's taken both as our Executive Director and an emerging young leader in education reform.
Speaking as an intern, he brings an amazing energy to the office; Never in any of my previous positions would the highest-tier manager sincerely engage in what I'm doing very often -- and Chris pops his head into our intern office, with a smile and a story, every day.

He'll be honored tomorrow at a cocktail event in San Francisco, hosted by NLC Chairman Mark Walsh.
Unfortunately, Chris won't be present to receive the honor -- he left last week for Washington D.C., representing us at a number of events that we hope will spread Spark's word! The award came just in time to put a little extra hop in Chris's step as he advocates for Spark at our nation's capitol.

Congratulations to Chris and the rest of the 40 inspiring leaders!

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More exciting Spark news:

TOMORROW: The Redwood City Dream Builders Breakfast!

2009-06-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

Our office is all a-twitter preparing for tomorrow's Dream Builders Breakfast in Redwood City!

Spark’s annual Dream Builders Breakfast brings our Spark community together to celebrate the empowering experiences we’ve provided to students over the last year, and to build enthusiasm around our ambitious goals.

Proceeds from these breakfasts will help match 250 Bay Area students with life-changing apprenticeships in the coming Summer and Fall semesters.

We'll be hearing from some terrific speakers at our two Bay Area breakfasts, but the real stars will be the students themselves -- sharing their own success stories with the Spark community.

Redwood City Dream Builders Breakfast
June 2, 2009 | 7:30-8:30am
at the Pacific Athletic Club

San Francisco Dream Builders Breakfast
June 10, 2009 | 7:30-8:30am
at the Hotel Monaco

Please contact Von Diaz for more information on our Dream Builders Breakfasts.
Hope you RSVP'd -- See you there!

Spark on ABC7 News!

2009-05-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

Spark is thrilled to be featured on last Friday's
ABC7 Evening News!

The clip includes interviews with Executive Director Chris Balme, various mentors and, of course, the students themselves.

Watch the entire clip below:

ABC7 does a fantastic job at highlighting the greatest rewards of our program: Feelings of accomplishment and purpose for both the mentor and the apprentice.

If you're interested in joining Spark as an Apprentice Teacher, we'd love to have you!

Please contact Nathalie Wade, Spark Community Outreach Manager, for more information:
nwade@sparkprogram.org, (415) 626-5470, x106.
or
Visit our Volunteer Page to learn more.

Recruiting New Apprentice Teachers for the Summer 2009!

2009-05-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

We are gearing up for the summer session of our Spark apprenticeship programs, and are looking for motivated people to join our community of Apprentice Teachers! Benefits of being a Spark Apprentice Teacher include:

Finding a renewed sense of excitement for your job!
Sparking an interest in your career in a young student, and giving them a unique opportunity to try out their dream job!
Impress your friends and family with your awesome contribution to the local community!

Please contact Nathalie Wade, Spark Community Outreach Manager, for more information on working with a Spark student, nwade@sparkprogram.org, (415) 626-5470, x106.

Visit the Volunteer Page on Spark's website to learn more!
You can also visit Spark's page on Great Nonprofits.org to hear what past Apprentice Teachers have to say about Spark!

Please Join Spark to Celebrate Apprenticeships in Action at Discovery Night!

2009-04-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

Please join us for Spark Discovery Nights and check out what Spark students and Apprentice Teachers have accomplished together this Spring. Discovery Night is the graduation celebration for Spark students, and a chance for them to teach back what they have learned during their apprenticeship. Students share their knowledge and do hands-on demonstrations to teach-back what they've learned during the semester. Whether you are a long-time supporter of Spark or are interested in learning more, Discovery Night is a great way to see what we are all about! Discovery Nights run from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Check out the list below to find a Discovery Night celebration near you!

Redwood City
May 6th, Garfield School: 3600 Middlefield Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025

May 6th, Clifford School: 225 Clifford Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94061

May 7th, Garfield School: 3600 Middlefield Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025

May 11th, Hoover School: 701 Charter St, Redwood City, CA 94063

May 12th, Selby Lane School: 170 Selby Lane, Atherton, CA 94027

San Francisco
May 4th, Presidio Middle School: 450 30th Ave San Francisco, CA 94121

May 13th, Roosevelt Middle School: 460 Arguello Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118

Please join us TONIGHT to celebrate a Spark success story!

2009-04-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

710 Broderick St
(at MacAllister), SF
Thursday, April 9
6:00-9:00 PM

Please join the SF community and Spark staff and supporters for wine and hors d'oeuvres, and celebrate one of our amazing student apprenticeships!

Spark student Lily is apprenticing with Interior Designer Bevin at Vizcaya Design. Over the last 6 weeks, Lily has had the exciting opportunity to design her own bedroom in this beautiful Queen Anne Victorian house in San Francisco.

Lily's room design will premier tonight at a reception hosted by Vizcaya Designs.

We hope you can make it to this exciting event and celebrate Lily's accomplishments!

Caitlyn Creates Original Children's Book!

2009-04-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

Caitlyn is an artistic and eccentric young woman who has been given an incredible opportunity to activate her creative ideas. Through Spark she is working with her Apprentice Teacher Noa on a fully illustrated original children's book called Peace Police about a student group that resolves conflicts in a peaceful manner.

Caitlyn loves art and feels that “the weirder the art the better!” For this reason, Spark matched this enthusiastic and unique child with Noa Mendelvitch, a graphic designer and children’s author. Together, Noa will assist Caitlyn in realizing her artistic potential, and will bring relevance to her school day! We're all excited to the results of this wonderful apprenticeship!

Visit Caitlyn's page to learn more, or to sponsor her apprenticeship.

Students Mask Mom and Dad on Parent Night!

2009-03-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

During our Leadership Curriculum this week students practiced "teaching-back" in preparation for their May Discovery Night presentation. Discovery Night is Spark's graduation ceremony. Each group of students learned how to create a plaster mask and then taught their parents how to create a mask during a Spark Parent Night. The parents were good sports as the students first covered their faces with Vaseline so the plaster would not stick. Despite the messy activity, several parents commented on their enjoyment of the project and appreciated the opportunity to interact with their children in a unique way!

Sponsor a Spark Student Apprenticeship!

2009-03-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

Spark has developed a one-of-a-kind Student Sponsorship platform! Visitors who click the "Sponsor an Apprenticeship" button on Spark's website are provided with details of individual apprenticeships and can choose to sponsor part or all of a student's apprenticeship. Sponsors receive real-time updates on students' progress and have the opportunity to be personally connected to the student's life-changing experience.

One of Spark's students, Alejandro, "Alex", is a 7th grade student who aspires to be a web engineer or graphic designer. He has an exciting apprenticeship at Google, where he and his apprentice teacher Greg are designing a unique video game website!

Visit Alex's page on the "Sponsor an Apprenticeship" website to learn more about Alex, or to sponsor his apprenticeship!

The Blog is Back!

2009-02-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

We're back! The Spark blog went on a long break in the midst of a very busy time. Since our last post, Spark has more than doubled in size -- we now have 14 amazing staff members and will create, directly and through our partners, well over 300 amazing youth apprenticeships this year. We've moved to a new office in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, launched two new sites in San Francisco, and are preparing to help organizations in other parts of California create their own apprenticeship programs. It's been a fun and busy time!

Right now, we're in the midst of matching a new group of 60+ Bay Area youth with their dream jobs, in fields ranging from geology to hair styling, and just about everything in between. If you or a friend would like to host an apprentice in your workplace, take a look at our full list of Dream Jobs at this link: http://www.sparkprogram.org/browse/student_dream_jobs. Thank you!

Welcome Summer 2008 Apprentices!!

2008-06-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

Hello Spark faithful!

As summer gets under way, we have begun our search for apprenticeships for the 12 students in our first session. We will be running two program sessions this summer, with a grand total of 36 students! We are excited to be working with the new groups, and there are even a few returning apprentices from the after-school program. Our new apprentices are also excited and eager to dive right in. So...let the apprenticeship search begin!

We are posting our apprenticeship search list here. We have a short time frame and we are hoping to get as much support from all of you as possible!

So let's put our heads together, use our best networking skills and find some energetic new volunteers to provide apprenticeships! Here is our list:

Hoover Program - Session 1 (Apprenticeship Search Deadline: June 13)

Web Design
Musician (2) - Guitar/Piano/Percussion
Art - Comic Book Drawing
Criminal Justice
Pastry Chef
Pediatrician
Robotics
Soccer
Police
Hip-Hop Dance

To any of our readers out there who know anyone in the industries listed above, please let them know about this awesome opportunity to be involved and make an impact in a child's life. In fact, they can check us out on our website at www.sparkprogram.org, or watch our Spark video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=gQCeFX9aoU8

Thanks everybody, and happy searching!

Please check back often as we will update this list when these apprenticeships are matched, and for our second session's apprenticeships as well. Thanks!

Spark Updates!

2008-05-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Hello Spark Blog faithful! I know it has been a while since the last posting, so here is the long awaited, much-anticipated update. Thank you for your patience, and enjoy!

Discovery Night Graduations
We ended the Spring 2008 session with awesome Discovery Nights two weeks ago.
On Monday, the Selby Lane and North Star Spark students presented together at Selby Lane, and they all did a great job to kick off the week-long celebrations! After shaking off their nerves, we were fortunate enough to learn about mechanical engineering, how to fly a plane, beatmaking, and even how to make bruschetta! Ethan and Denise began the evening by explaining how to build a catapult from scratch, from the design process all the way through completion. Myles rocked the place with his rendition of a popular Green Day song on the electric guitar, Daja taught us how to combine fashion with business for a worthy cause, and Jonathan dueled with his mentor Lynne from TechShop in a BattleBot Showdown!

On Tuesday, we were treated to very special presentations at Hoover. Sharon brought her amazing Chinese brush paintings, Edwin shared the motorcycle helmet he airbrushed, and Cynthia even brought a shark to show everybody what she did at her marine biology apprenticeship. Not to be outdone, Walter concluded the presentations with handmade ice cream and fudge to everyone's delight. It was so delicious I had to get seconds, along with lots of other people!

The next evening at Clifford, Dom showed us a short trailer he made for a science fiction film, Ashley taught us how to brush a dog's teeth, and Taylor shared some tips for making our cars go "ridiculously fast". One of the highlights of the evening was Alex, Gustavo, and Pablo discussing the work they did with the Redwood City Police Department. They even brought along their police dog Calvin to demonstrate how he immobilizes the bad guys by biting them on the arm!

We presented all our apprentices and volunteer mentors with certificates from Assemblymember Ira Ruskin and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo to celebrate all they've accomplished over the past 10 weeks.
Thank you to the volunteers and emcees for helping out with Discovery Nights. We couldn't have pulled it off without you! And a very special THANK YOU to our volunteer mentors for the time and dedication you share with our apprentices. You really are the heart of our program and make all of this possible.

Google Field Trips
To celebrate the fantastic presentations at Discovery Night, we took a field trip to the Google world headquarters in Mountain View for a tour of their facilities. What a wonderful treat! The kids got to learn about some of the innovations around Google (top secret, so I am unable to share them here) that make it a world-class place to work. The giant-wheeled bike, hardware depot, and free food everywhere were some of their favorite things to see! They were also exposed to the numerous jobs that are available at Google (like chefs, security officials, messueses, daycare providers, and more), reaffirming the fact that it is possible to work there even if you aren't a computer whiz.

Thanks again to Charbel Like Marble, Grant, Jeff, and Chad for leading our tours around the Google campus. We had a ton of fun and hope to visit again soon!

Introducing.....

2008-03-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

Hello!! My name is Stephen Hsu and I wanted to introduce myself to all of you here in the Spark community. I have joined the Spark staff as a Program Coordinator for the spring and summer programs, and could not be any happier to be here working with wonderful people and amazing kids in the community. I believe wholeheartedly in Spark's mission, and I hope to inspire Bay Area youth to realize their potential while creating the networks and resources necessary for them to get there. My previous experiences with youth have taught me that in order for this to happen, there needs to be a sustainable collaboration between the youth, their schools, and their community. Working together, we can nurture the desire to learn and create an environment where self-motivated students thrive. I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to help Spark grow and expand their impact throughout the Bay Area, and I look forward to meeting and working with every single one of you. Knowledge is power!

Fall 2007 Spark Graduates

2007-12-21T15:13:00.000-08:00

We rounded out the year at Spark with incredible student presentations. Discovery Night began with collaborative setup: balloons, posters, and food tables. After our students tested out their voices on the microphone for the first time, we were ready to welcome our guests.

At Hoover, we learned about police work, dog training, robotics, and video games. George and Oscar showed us how the robot they built could pick up a ball and dunk it! Sharnan and Edwin dissected their new video game, "Sticknation".

At Clifford, Kelly made us professional chocolate truffles, Sergio rapped about his young life, and Grace told us about the perils of fog. Gabriel managed to give us the funniest Discovery Night presentation ever, with a play-by-play explanation of life at Hidden Villa. Ultimately, the turkey became his Thanksgiving dinner!!

We presented our students and volunteers with certificates from Ira Ruskin and Anna Eshoo, respectively, to celebrate their achievements. Congratulations Fall class of 2007!!

To our volunteers:

Thank you so much for your generosity and time! Spark couldn't help so many youth without the help of the community. Thank you for empowering so many young leaders.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-07T16:48:00.002-08:00

The holidays are coming quickly, and with them, the next round of Spark graduates! Spark will be hosting two Discovery Nights this month, and we would like to invite all of you Spark readers to attend. There has been a lot of excitement as the big night gets closer. The secret projects of our NASA apprentices are being hurried along to their conclusions, and our game designers are working hard as the deadline approaches!

In addition to finishing up apprenticeships, our Spark groups have been touring the community in a series of Community Quest workshops. During one such quest, we all went into downtown Redwood City to explore the resources around us. The next time, we went to Stanford University and interviewed people on the street, trying to find someone who could introduce us to the mayor of Palo Alto.

Back at the leadership program Spark students have been working with community members in workshops about topics such as conflict resolution with the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center, and public speaking with presentation experts from Google.

We hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season, and staying dry as the rain starts coming. Please join us for one of our two Discovery Nights:

Wednesday, December 19
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
in the multi-use room at Hoover

and

Thursday, December 20
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
in the multi-use room at Clifford

We will be treated to presentations on pastry baking, police procedures, weather reporting, film-making, and much more! In addition, we will be providing food and drinks, so don't eat dinner before.

We look forward to seeing all of you at the event. Until then!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-07T16:48:00.001-08:00

Daylight Savings

2007-11-12T10:12:00.001-08:00

Hi there Spark readers! Well, the time change is upon us, days are shorter and the holidays are quickly approaching! As you prepare for the festivities, here are just a few quick updates from Spark.

Sugar Rush was a huge success, complete with a spread of delicious desserts reaching as far as the eye could see! Thanks to everyone who showed up or donated! Many thanks also to our fantastic local pastry chefs for donating their time and talents, and for making the event possible.

In program news, the excitement just never ends! The Hoover Spark group toured the Riekes center and the Clifford Spark group went to Google. Apprenticeships are going well, our pilot apprentice had his first flight and his apprentice teacher has declared him a natural! Our pastry chef is cooking up souffles, our film director spends all her extra time now at the Riekes center, and our train conductor is zooming all over the bay area! We were also lucky to have a workshop from the Community Schools Coordinator at Hoover.

Last but not least, Spark is very excited to welcome the newest addition to our quickly growing team. We have just hired Elena Sevastopoulos as our new Community Outreach Manager. Elena played a major role in organizing Sugar Rush and we are thrilled to have her joining us. Welcome, Elena!

Thanks for reading everyone, and check back soon for more exciting updates!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-29T09:56:00.001-07:00

Greetings Spark community! Just a quick update for our loyal readers. Things have been busy here at Spark headquarters as apprenticeships have started rolling! All three of our after school programs have been officially launched, and we are happy to say that apprenticeships are going successfully.

In addition, we are beginning to have some exciting workshops with community volunteers. Malcolm Smith, the Communications Director of Redwood City, came to Hoover Middle School last week to run a workshop on designing a city. Our Spark apprentices worked in teams in a hands-on, interactive city planning workshop to come up with plans for their ideal city. We may have found some future city planners!

In apprenticeship news, we have many exciting things happening as well. Our NASA apprentices have already completed construction of their very first robot, and are ready to begin programming it. Look out world! Our video game designers are well on their way, with their own cubicles and the chance to design the video game of their dreams! We also have several students going on regular ride-alongs with the Redwood City Police Department, and our pilot apprentice will be taking his first flight this coming Thursday.

Things are busy, which is all the more reason to take a step back and relax over some delicious desserts! Don't forget to stop by Sugar Rush, a dessert tasting event that will benefit Spark and it's youth. Tickets are going fast, so make sure to get online and order before we run out! There will be a limited number of tickets sold at the door, so hurry up and buy now!

The event will be held:

November 5th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
111 Minna St in San Francisco

There will be an impressive collection of desserts, donated by some of the city's best pastry chefs. For a complete list, and to buy tickets, go to:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/21070

Can't wait to see you there!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Greetings Spark community! Just a quick update for our loyal readers. Things have been busy here at Spark headquarters as apprenticeships have started rolling! All three of our after school programs have been officially launched, and we are happy to say that apprenticeships are going successfully.

In addition, we are beginning to have some exciting workshops with community volunteers. Malcolm Smith, the Communications Director of Redwood City, came to Hoover Middle School last week to run a workshop on designing a city. Our Spark apprentices worked in teams in a hands-on, interactive city planning workshop to come up with plans for their ideal city. We may have found some future city planners!

In apprenticeship news, we have many exciting things happening as well. Our NASA apprentices have already completed construction of their very first robot, and are ready to begin programming it. Look out world! Our video game designers are well on their way, with their own cubicles and the chance to design the video game of their dreams! We also have several students going on regular ride-alongs with the Redwood City Police Department, and our pilot apprentice will be taking his first flight this coming Thursday.

Things are busy, which is all the more reason to take a step back and relax over some delicious desserts! Don't forget to stop by Sugar Rush, a dessert tasting event that will benefit Spark and it's youth. Tickets are going fast, so make sure to get online and order before we run out! There will be a limited number of tickets sold at the door, so hurry up and buy now!

The event will be held

November 5th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
111 Minna St in San Francisco

There will be an impressive collection of desserts, donated by some of the city's best pastry chefs. For a complete list, and to buy tickets, go to:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/21070

Can't wait to see you there!

Fall Kick-off

2007-10-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

Well we are off to an exciting start this fall session. All of our apprentices have been successfully matched! Many thanks to all the people who made it happen, including our community supporters and all of our fantastic new (and returning) volunteers.

Get ready everybody because we have an exciting set of matches! Several of our returning volunteers include Kids Kulinary Adventures, The Riekes Center, and the Redwood City Police Department. We also have a whole list of brand new volunteers. A couple of our Spark youth will be building robots with the AMES Research Center of NASA, while others are designing video games with Twistbox Games in San Mateo! Other apprenticeships include animal care at Hidden Villa and Planet Pooch, toy design at Klutz, train operations with CalTrain, law at the Ted Hannig Law Firm, environmental issues at the Marine Science Institute, and many more.

We have officially started our fall program at Hoover and apprenticeships will start next Tuesday. Following close behind are our second and third fall programs at Clifford, which start on October 17th. We're in for a lot of fun and excitement, so stay tuned for updates!

In addition, we are proud and ecstatic to announce the launch of our brand new website!!! Come check us out at www.sparkprogram.org .

In the meantime, don't forget to save the date:

Spark's first annual Sugar Rush - We invite you to our dessert tasting and wine social hour. Try delicious desserts from local pastry artists and support Spark and our youth!

November 5th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
111 Minna St in San Francisco

Thanks again for all the support from all you wonderful readers out there! Until next time!

Welcoming Our New Spark Apprentices!

2007-09-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Hello loyal Spark readers! As promised, we have happily welcomed on board a whole new group of Spark apprentices for our fall programs. We will be running three programs simultaneously this fall, with a grand total of 28 students! We are excited to be working with the new groups, and there are even a few returning apprentices from the summer program. Our new apprentices are also excited and eager to dive right in. So...let the apprenticeship search begin!

We are posting here our apprenticeship request list. We have a short time frame and we are hoping to get as much support from all of you as possible!

So let's put our heads together, use our best networking skills and find some energetic new volunteers to provide apprenticeships! Here is our list:

Hoover Program (Apprenticeship Search Deadline: October 2nd)

Doctor
Principal
Video Game Design
Preschool Teacher
Lawyer
Vet
Movie Director/Actor
Electronic Arts Games
Astronaut
Police (2)
Dog Trainer

Clifford Program (Apprenticeship Search Deadline: October 9th)

Family Lawyer (2)
Modeling
Environmental Science
Environmental Law
Zoology
Astronaut (2)
Application Development at Apple
SWAT Team
TV Meteorologist
Photographer
Pastry Chef
Music Video Director
Singer/Rapper
Mechanic

To any of our readers out there who know anyone in the industries listed above, please let them know about this awesome opportunity to be involved. In fact, they can check us out on our website at www.sparkprogram.org, or watch our Spark video!

http://www.youtube.com/sparkprogram

Thanks everybody, and happy searching!

Spark Applications

2007-09-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you out there who still need applications to our fall program, here is a link so you can download them from home:

http://www.sparkprogram.org/applyspark.html

Good Luck!

Back to School

2007-09-06T12:03:00.001-07:00

Greetings Spark community! Well, summer is over and school has started. We hope that everyone had some great last minute vacation time, and it looks like we can still enjoy some last minute sun!

Back here at Spark headquarters the wheels are officially turning to get ready for the next round of Spark - our fall after school programs at Clifford and Hoover Middle Schools. We are excited to welcome onboard the newest group of Spark students, and will running three separate programs at once, which is a new Spark record! The application deadline is this Friday, September 7th, so don't forget to turn in those applications to the front office at your school.

As soon as we have selected and welcomed our newest group of students, we will be starting the Apprentice Teacher search. We will post the list of Apprenticeship Requests so please help us circulate it and find volunteers to work with our wonderful students!

Stay tuned for more updates and happy September!

Discover Night at Hoover

2007-08-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Well, we were proud to announce the latest group of Spark grads (and sad to see them go) at our second and final Discovery Night of the summer. It was an impressive evening to be sure, complete with presentations about starting a small business, diagnosing a chiropractic problem, and making truffles. The truffles were available for sampling at the end of the night and they were absolutely delicious!

In addition, we were tempted with a trailer for a film by one of our fabulous apprentices from the Riekes Center, who, from the looks of it, is an up and coming movie producer! We were also treated to a live demonstration of how to pull someone over as a motorcycle cop, complete with the motorcycle and flashing lights. Many thanks to the Redwood City Police Department. (And yes we were all amused to see Diana, Spark's Program Coordinator, in the "driver's seat"). All together, it was a huge success. Congratulations, grads!

Also, as the summer draws to a close, we want to once more extend our thanks and appreciation to all the many people who made it possible. This summer would not have happened without all of our wonderful volunteers, new and returning, the support of all the families and friends of our youth, and of course, our courageous youth. You are all truly Spark leaders and role models to us all.

We hope that everyone is enjoying the last of the summer, and now...on to planning for our fall programs! Good luck to everyone and stay tuned for more!

Wrapping Up

2007-08-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

Greetings, Spark community! As we enter the fourth (and sadly, the last) week of our second summer session, our calendar is looking as exciting as ever. We are pleased to announce the approaching arrival of our second Discovery Night this summer, where we will be presenting the latest group of graduating Spark leaders.

We've had a lot of excitement over the last week. We took a trip to

the Media Center, where we got to produce our very own talk show pilots, complete with professional equipment and props (not to mention Spark talent!). We also had the opportunity to create sculptures from household items, revealing impressive creative expression and artisitic abilities.

Apprenticeships are going wonderfully. One of our youth got to take x-rays at Warren St. Wellness, his chiropractic apprenticeship. Another apprentice at Sequoia Hospital had the opportunity to work with premature babies, and came back glowing. To top it all off, all of us at Spark are being kept well supplied with samples from our culinary apprentices at John Bentley's restaurant, and they are absolutely delicious!

Speaking of delicious samples, we will be treated to a full taste at our upcoming Discovery Night this Friday. Desserts from John Bentley's will be provided, along with many other refreshments provided by Spark families and friends. We hope to see you all there, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Hoover Middle School. We'll all be cheering on our apprentices as they teach us something they have learned through their apprenticeships.

Can't wait to see you all there, it's been a great summer and we are looking forward to closing it with an equally great evening!

Summer Fun at Hoover

2007-07-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

We’re happy to report that the Hoover Spark group is off and running, and very strong! We are already starting the third week of our program, and it’s incredible how time just flies by! We’re having a great time, and have gotten to do a lot of really exciting things, such as learn to solder from a local plumber, experiment with our culinary talents with a personal chef, and give back to the environment at the Pearson-Arastradero Nature Preserve.

We also toured the Riekes Center, a community center for youth, which is packed with fantastic resources! On our tour we learned to walk like animals silently in the woods, we tried our musical abilities in a drum circle, and they even made us brownies from their solar powered outdoor oven! Of course the most entertaining moment for many was seeing Program Leaders Melia Dicker and Diana Ford attempting to rap in the sound recording studio. They were good sports, although the real talent came out when our Spark students stepped up to the microphone!

We are definitely having fun, and we haven’t even talked about the awesome things we are doing here at Hoover when we aren’t out in the community exploring. From exploring leadership styles and figuring out how to network with celebrities, to building top secret space shuttles out of gum drops, the fun just never stops!

As we come closer to the end of the month, just a reminder to save August 10th, it’s Discovery Night! We will be sharing all kinds of exciting things we learned, and having a lot of fun at our end of program celebration and performance. Bring friends, family, and get ready to eat, learn, and help us celebrate the end of a wonderful summer.

Until next time!

Summer Greetings Part Two!

2007-07-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Well, we are halfway through a beautiful summer, and wishing it would never end! Our first summer program at Clifford Middle School came to a close with a wonderful Discovery Night. We saw some impressive presentations by exceptional Spark graduates, including a few cooking demonstrations (one of which fed our entire audience!), a video on sound recording, and many other topics. We are proud to send our awesome graduates into the community as experienced leaders who will no doubt inspire peers and family to pursue their own interests. Many thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who made this possible, and to the families of our students for their support and encouragement. We all had a blast!

But wait...there's more...

This week we kicked off the second Spark program of the summer at Hoover Middle School. We are happy to welcome a whole new group of youth into the Spark community. The apprentices have now had their first week of apprenticeships and have already shown themselves to be an amazing group of youth with powerful leadership potential. We are excited to be working with them, and with our new volunteer Apprentice Teachers from a variety of fields, including a Redwood City Police Officer, a chiropracter, and architect, and several preschool teachers. We are also welcoming back several return volunteers from the Clifford Program, including the San Mateo Daily Journal, the Riekes Center, Sequoia Hospital and John Bentley's Restaurant.

We look forward to a great program, and our Discovery Night Celebration, rapidly approaching, on Friday, August 10th. We look forward to seeing everyone there, so save the date.

Hope we are all enjoying the last half of a great summer, best wishes to all!

Summer is Here

2007-06-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Summer!

I hope everyone is as excited as we are about kicking off the summer with the first round of our summer program. We are very happy to report that apprenticeships are lined up, and we will be representing a great variety of professions. For example, one of our youth has the awesome opportunity of working with a fashion designer, and will even get to help design some clothes! Another apprenticeship will be with a studio sound recording technician, who will be helping his apprentice come up with his own creative project. We even have an apprentice that is going to get to learn what it's like to work in a hospital! Among the other apprenticeships we have lined up are a chef, a lawyer, and a mechanic. Again, we’re really excited, and can’t wait to get going.

Enjoy the sun!

A Ton of fun at the Bay2Breakers Run!

2007-05-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

The Spark team had a blast at our first bay2breakers walk. We had our very own cowboy, a couple of pirates and the charming detective Hercule Poirot himself. Check out the event photos and costumes.

We had a great fund raising drive and are thankful to everyone for their generosity and support. The team is already looking forward to next years walk!

Introducing Diana Ford

2007-05-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

Hi there, I just wanted to introduce myself to everyone out there in the Spark Blog Community. My name is Diana Ford and I'm happy to say I have just joined the Spark organization as the new Program Coordinator. I am very excited to be here and to be involved with Spark and with the communities they serve. Through my experiences working in education, in my own life, and interacting with youth, I have learned that one of the most important aspects of an education is the desire to learn. I look forward to working with Spark to help inspire more youth to develop this desire and motivation to take charge of their education, both inside and outside of the classroom. At the same time, I am excited for the opportunity to continue to grow both personally and professionally through my work with youth. Thanks for welcoming me into this community and giving me the opportunity to be part of a wonderful program!

See Spark at Bay2Breaker's!

2007-05-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Bay2Breakers is around the corner. The Spark team is walking at the event to increase awareness as well as hand out some cool free gifts!

Support our cause and make a tax deductible donation at our Event Page.

Learning & Teaching Back

2007-02-07T22:17:00.000-08:00

Spring apprenticeships are cruising along nicely. Tony got his first tour of an air traffic control tower and is rapidly learning his way around an airplane cockpit. Nika's been working on creating a website of her artwork with her mentor, while Ed is learning to beat-juggle with his mentor, a professional DJ. Who would have known that math was needed to juggle beats and mix songs?

That question and others come up on Tuesdays, "Teachback" days at Spark. Students take the floor to teach their peers (and Spark staff!) what they've learned in their apprenticeships, and to explore the connections between the skills they're developing in workplaces and the lessons they're learning at school. It's always fascinating to learn how each apprenticeship is going...a claymation movie nears completion in the film-making apprenticeship, while another apprentice is already preparing full meals at the Sheraton kitchen with his mentor. Never a dull moment!

Spring Program is Off and Running

2007-01-24T16:54:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was Spark's kick-off for the spring semester, and all the students met their apprentice teachers for the first time. It was wonderful to see the excitement from both sides, and to hear plans for apprenticeship projects developing. One student is working with a film-maker at the Reikes Center in Menlo Park, and they were planning out the creation of a short film. Another is matched with an event planner, and they were looking for their first party to plan. Other apprentice teachers will be sharing their knowledge of architecture, modeling, acting, DJ'ing, cooking, visual art, and more. The spring is off to a great start!

The students will be at their apprenticeship sites every Thursday for the next ten weeks. Mark your calendars for graduation on Friday, March 30th, 6-8pm at Clifford School in Redwood City, to see the end results of all these projects!

Fall Semester Wraps Up, Deliciously

2006-12-11T18:07:00.000-08:00

Spark finished off the fall semester with a week of workshops and field trips. On Tuesday we participated in a workshop on marketing led by a former Vice President at Oracle. We started off by analyzing how the video game industry and others work their marketing magic. Then, putting our ideas right into action, we broke into small teams for a mini-project. New businesses were born in the cupcake industry, as students were challenged to create fresh new marketing ideas for the good old chocolate cupcake. Slogans and tag lines were flying!

Then on Thursday, we got a behind-the-scenes tour of a local bakery, Kathy's Kreative Kakes in San Mateo. Of course, eating was involved! Students learned how to frost a cake, using the approach that no amount of frosting is too much. Here they are, frosting away...

We're on holiday break through mid-January, while apprenticeship matching and volunteer training is completed. We'll be back on January 23rd, with 11 new apprenticeships in fields from DJing to architecture. Students will work with their mentors every Thursday afternoon, at workplaces all over the Peninsula. Happy Holidays from all of us at Spark!

The Wide-Wide Web

2006-11-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had four fantastic volunteers from Shopping.com, leading a workshop on online business and website creation. After describing a bit about how online business works, they led the students through a process of creating their own, real online business websites. The kids came up with some hilarious and excellent business ideas, like Homework Helpers, whose tagline is: "We beat the leading contenders because we are the ONLY contenders that base pricing on your personal allowance, good luck trying to find another website like this!!!"

In the photo to the right, there are our two illustrious creators of Homework Helpers, hard at work.

Other websites focused on hybrid cars (looking suspiciously like a Ferrari!) and boots, to name a few.

Earlier in the day, the Spark students also had great success in their informational interviews. Nearly every student has now interviewed at least one adult in the field that most interests them, from architecture to DJ-ing. Apprenticeships are coming up soon!

Fall Break

2006-10-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

It's Fall Break time...school is out for the week, Spark is on pause, and so your four favorite Spark staff are at the office making plans for holiday fundraisers and spring curriculum. That's right, FOUR Spark staff: Melia, Chris, Robert and Katie. We're now joined by our intern extraordinaire, Katie Griffin. Hooray for Katie!

Looks like we'll have not one, not two, but three holiday house parties this year to raise money for Spark's spring after-school. They will be hosted by supporters in San Francisco, on Dec. 2nd, Dec. 8th, and one TBD. Please join us if you can make it, and if not, please consider making a donation to send Spark into the new year. You can donate online at www.sparkprogram.org/invest.html. Thank you! These individual donations make a HUGE difference!

Watch Out, Political World...

2006-10-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

For yesterday's field trip we hopped into our Spark vans and drove down to Los Altos, where we visited the district headquarters for California Assemblymember Ira Ruskin. It was our first taste of the political world -- and some of the students found a new interest in politics! We met with Ira's District Director, who shared a few of the bills they're currently working on and began a lively discussion about how to improve them. Turns out that Spark students have quite a few opinions on these matters and believe in very tough enforcement of laws. Then Ira joined the discussion, and introduced how he got into politics after originally wanting to be a movie producer. The students were intrigued and asked question after question for nearly an hour, until it was well after the time we should go and we had to drag everyone out of there. Watch out, political world, Spark students are getting involved...

Spark Students Visit Provident Credit Union

2006-10-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

Just got a chance to upload this photo from Spark's September field trip to Provident Credit Union. Here the students sat around a huge table in the main Board Room, and looked quite comfortable and ready to make big decisions! We got to speak with several of the top executives and learn how the credit union functions.

Lots Going On

2006-10-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

Big news this week -- Genentech is now a corporate sponsor of Spark! We're thrilled to have their support, and looking forward to working with Genentech employees in Spark's workshops and apprenticeships. I'm curious to get to know them better after reading about what a people-friendly organization they've created.

Today was a big day for the apprenticeship prep as well -- the students are ready to set up their first informational interviews, after playing "six degrees of separation" to identify who in the community can help them learn about their chosen profession. They're a little nervous but excited to begin!

Spark's First Community Quest

2006-10-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Today was Spark's first Community Quest. We divided into groups of 5-6 students, one adult per group, and spread out around downtown Redwood City on a challenging scavenger hunt. The students had to "bring back the business card of a CEO" and "find out the cost of construction for the new Century movie theatre," among other challenges.

It was a great time, and helped create some skills of resourcefulness -- the groups had to realize that not everyone would be able to help, and even if they were, not everyone had accurate information. But they solved all 12 challenges within 90 minutes, in the process learning how to meet and talk with everyone from business owners to movie-theatre managers to city hall planners. Watch out, world!

My Spark Moment - Sekope Tagilala, 8th Grade, SPARK class of 2005

2006-09-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

My name is Sekope Tagilala and I am going to be 14 years old next February (2006). Last summer, I was offered a partial scholarship to attend a youth educational program called the SPARK program in Redwood City. This program was held at the Clifford School for the whole summer.

Along with 10 other students and 2 great tutors, we did apprenticeship programs that we had an interest in. My chosen apprentice field was to learn how to fly a plane because it has always been my dream to be a pilot. At first I didn't think it would be possible for them to arrange for flying lessons, but I was surprised when my SPARK coordinator told me that I would actually be flying a real plane. They hooked me up with a mentor and I thought he was the best mentor ever.

His name is Dave Zittin and he taught me various things about the structure of planes, the mechanics needed to make a plane fly and important information about how I can make my dream to be a pilot be a reality. I spent up to 2 hours per day with Dave for the first week, going over everything about flying and airplanes. When he first let me be the pilot, I was so excited. I couldn't believe I was actually doing it on my own. With Dave Zittin guiding me step by step, I took off, flew and landed the plane. It was an awesome feeling and made me seriously think about the idea of being a pilot in the future. Nothing beats the rush when I was amongst the clouds and looking down at the land below. The earth looks awesome from above and I felt like I was a king rising above in the clouds mastering my ship.

"I enjoyed my apprenticeship and time at the SPARK program and think that these types of programs help youths make important decisions about their chosen career paths"