Resonate

The inspiration to start Spark came from the experiences that co-founders Chris Balme and Melia Dicker had as students themselves. They were eager for learning opportunities outside the classroom, and wished that school were more relevant to their interests. They watched many of their peers disengage from school, and others graduate college without knowing how to make their dreams happen—or even understanding what those dreams were.

Later, as teachers, tutors, and after-school leaders, Chris and Melia began to study learning programs that empower students to discover and pursue their passions. They visited schools around the country and around the world, researching these student-centered, community-based approaches to education. Finally, in 2004 they founded Spark. Spark is built around one-on-one apprenticeships, with a mission of inspiring middle-school youth to pursue their interests, create bonds with their communities, and develop a lifelong passion for learning.

In 2005, Spark’s pilot summer session in Redwood City, CA, graduated 11 students, who each completed an apprenticeship in a field of interest, from aviation to medicine to interior design. The results of the pilot program showed that Spark participants gained in self-confidence and self-awareness, and felt more able to pursue the learning opportunities that most interested them.

Building on this success, and with the encouragement of local families, schools, foundations and other supporters, Spark has grown significantly in the past years. From the first pilot site at one school in Redwood City, CA, Spark now operates six sites -- two in San Francisco and four in Redwood City -- running year-round apprenticeship programs.

Throughout this growth, Spark’s core approach remains the same: to enable students to develop as leaders and learners as they pursue a personal learning interest through a hands-on apprenticeship.