Spark Presentation- Blackboard Mobile
- 1. Blackboard: Making a Difference Thursday, August 22nd
- 2. Welcome: The Spark Program Spark’s mission is to create life-changing apprenticeships for youth in under-served communities across the United States. Spark’s vision is that every young person should have a bridge to a working professional, to demonstrate the value of education.
- 3. A National Crisis 25% of students in the United States drop out of high school every year, averaging 7,000 each day. Among Latino and African American students in the highest need neighborhoods across the United States, the dropout rate exceeds 50%. Spark works with middle school students who are at risk of being part of this group because of lack of engagement in school, lack of available resources, and socioeconomic factors.
- 4. Hands-on, individualized apprenticeships with professionals in the local workforce Spark Leadership Curriculum Skills for academic success, appreciation of the relevance of education, and motivation to stay in school and pursue ambitious goals Spark’s Solution
- 5. Self-Management Self-Awareness Social Awareness Relationship Skills Responsibility Students build Social Emotional Core Competencies Developing Identity Building Community Exploring Your Future Career Readiness & Exposure Spark Program Framework Positive Academic Behaviors Attendance Classroom Behavior Course Performance Long Term Impact Individual - Educational Attainment - Employable & Ready for Work Social Impact - Drop out Prevention - Workforce Development Source: Implementation Study
- 6. What is the Spark experience? Concentrated: Two hours per week for eight weeks; establish a one-on-one relationship with a middle schooler Active: Expose students to your career through hands-on activities leading to a final project Local: Invest in at-risk community youth without leaving your workplace Supported: Spark staff provide orientation and weekly check- ins to help you plan and troubleshoot Connected: Build your network of like-minded professionals at our kick-off and culminating events Long-term results: Share your passion for your career to inspire the next generation of your field
- 7. Apprenticeships: The Mentor’s Experience • Mentors are screened • Mentors attend Orientation & Match Night • Mentors are matched and meet their student • Mentors host their apprenticeship for 2 hours a week • Mentors check in with their Program Coordinator every week • Mentors support their student at Discovery Night
- 8. How it works? Program Logistics Discovery Night: Early-mid December Apprenticeships: October-December Match Night: Early October Orientation
- 9. How do I become a Mentor? Fill out the Online Mentor Application Spark staff member will follow up to take you through our on boarding process, consisting of Background check Phone interview Mentor Orientation After completing the on boarding process you will be told your student match!
- 10. What Mentors have said: “You get to see how the kids enjoy what you do for a living…it makes you love what you do even more.” “I wouldn't expect to connect intellectually with such a younger counterpart, but I found myself not only enjoying our meetings but learning a lot from them!” “My favorite part is learning from the student-we grew up in two entirely opposite worlds, so it means a lot to me to get to see the world through her eyes. And at the same time let her see the world through mine.”
Editor's Notes
- #3: Mentors make our program happen!!
- #4: SF:Graduation rate: 82%FRPL: 70%RWC:Grad rate: 80%’FRPL: 64%Oakland: Grad rate: 59%FRPL: 70%
- #5: LC focuses on three Spark themes: Developing IdentityBuilding CommunityExploring your FutureStudents build skills in networking, public speaking, team building, goal setting and communication skillsSkills students build: Self-ManagementSelf- AwarenessSocial AwarenessRelationship SkillsResponsibility
- #6: (CLICK)Spark’s mission is to provide life changing opportunities to students that will help them build the key skills to graduate from high school on time, achieve their career and educational goals, reduce the drop out rate and contribute to a workforce prepared for the 21st century (CLICK)In order to do this, we know that students – especially middle school students – need to be on track in school in three key ways: by attending class regularly and on time, by exhibiting positive classroom behaviors and by earning good grades (CLICK)So, how do we ensure students are able to do this? Research from the University of Chicago and other research consortiums has shown that there are key mindsets and beliefs that successful middle school students exhibit, and have organized these skills into a set of core social emotional competencies. These include:Self Management (things like self-control, grit, resilience, perseverance)Self Awareness (such as self confidence, knowing ones own strengths and challenges, etc)Social Awareness (a sense of belonging and empathy for one’s community)Relationship skills (the ability to build and maintain positive relationships, work on teams, etc)Responsibility (understanding how to make ethical and constructive decisions about one’s behavior) (CLICK)The Spark model builds these core competencies through engaging students in unique relationships with volunteer mentors and their classmates, a curriculum that encourages them to understand themselves as learners and community members and to make positive future goals for themselves.
- #7: Concentrated: Two hours per week for eight weeks; establish a one-on-one relationship with a middle schooler. Active: Expose students to your career through hands-on activities leading to a final project.Local: Invest in at-risk community youth without leaving your workplace. Supported: Spark staff provide orientation and weekly check-ins to help you plan and troubleshoot. Connected: Build your network of like-minded professionals at our kick-off and culminating events.Long-term results: Share your passion for your career to inspire the next generation of your field.
- #9: The only piece missing is program timeline details – we may not have specific dates but we can talk about James Lick (institutional knowledge; leadership, impact with quotes) and general timeline (September – orientation, October to December – Apprenticeships, and DN/CD – December)Please clarify multi-student placement?
- #11: ADD PICTURES