Philadelphia & the East Coast

Spark is growing!

In pursuit of our vision to make apprenticeships the norm in middle school education, Spark is currently prospecting for its next program site in Philadelphia. We see incredible potential for hands-on workplace learning to have a positive impact in Philadelphia, and eventually in other east coast cities like Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York City.  Spark is excited to pilot programs in spring 2013, in partnership with the Wharton School of Business and University of Pennsylvania. Stay tuned for more information!

Spark’s mission is to provide life-changing apprenticeships to youth in underserved communities across the United States. 30% of students in the United States drop out of high school, with the dropout rate exceeding 50% in the highest-need neighborhoods. Spark addresses the dropout crisis by connecting volunteer professionals with underserved youth in workplace apprenticeships to “spark” their potential. Students identify a “dream job,” and Spark matches that student with a mentor doing that job. As students explore the school-to-career connection, they build skills critical for academic success, gain a strong appreciation for the relevance of their education, and become motivated to work hard to achieve their dreams. Spark is a national nonprofit that provides life-changing apprenticeships to middle school students from disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago, and soon on the east coast.

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