SPARK! OVERVIEW

ORGANIZATION HISTORY

Sept. 2010 501(c)(3) Founded

March 2014 First programming

June 2015 opened SPARK!

1,775 Kids served in first seven months

2016 first year of operations

6,363 Kids served

42,126 Kids served

Over 80,000 visitors

Capacity issues, 5,500 turned away

Vision:

Shaping the future

for all children

through creative

programming

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MISSION STATEMENT

•Touch. Create. Explore. Learn. Dream.

To ignite the spark of creativity inherent in all children

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WHY IS CREATIVITY IMPORTANT?

Are more likely to:

• Define themselves as happy

• Participate in local politics

• Attend arts and cultural events

Adults Who Define

Themselves As Creative:

Children begin to explore their

creativity around second grade.

By 16, they define themselves as:

“I am” or “I am not” creative.

Children Who Define

Themselves As Creative:

• Have higher self-esteem

• Have better problem solving skills

• Are more likely to:

• Score higher on their SATs

• Graduate from high school

• Go to college and graduate

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IGNITING CREATIVITY IN CHILDREN

• We define creativity as: “A sense of wonder, that

invites exploration, and the discovery of new

possibilities”

• The environment provides total creative immersion

• Climb, Crawl, Slide Sculpture

• Allows children to push their own boundaries

• Instructors are practicing creative individuals who

motivate students as they guide them through the

discovery of their own creative identity

• Open-ended feedback invites self-critique,

honesty, and problem-solving

• Children are engaged in the creative process:

Inspiration with Iteration and Collaboration leads to

Innovation

At SPARK! We Treat Creativity

Like a Language

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NEW & FREE TO ALL

THE CREATOR STUDIO

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SPARK! Creator Studio – All Access Pass For Kids

Program Description:

Mandated by the results of our Metamorphosis Survey and inspired by MIT’s

Computer Clubhouse, SPARK! has developed a program that will allow

children to engage year-round in creative learning. Currently in the funding

stages, the SPARK! Creator Studio will combine the equipment of a

Makerspace with the technology of a Computer Lab and the materials in a

Tinker’s Studio. Plans are to allow children access to the studio throughout the

year, after school and on weekends beginning this fall semester.

Tinker’s Studio

• Visual Arts

• Music

• Recording booths

• Kilns

• Silk Screening

Makerspace

• 3D Printers

• 3D Pens

• 3D Carving Machine

• Cricut Flat Cutter

• Virtual Reality

• Robotics

Computer Lab

• Tablets & Laptops

• Global Network

• MIT Scratch

programming

• App Development

SPARK! BY THE NUMBERS

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NUMBERS SHOW THE NEED

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SPARK! IMPACT

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2017 - 2018 SPARK! IMPACT

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• SPARK! is bursting at the seams • 11,000 sq. ft. space, 2 huge rooms

• Added 450 sq. ft. to exploration area

• 1,870 sq. ft. lease for offices

• 1,760 sq. ft. for Creator Studio program

• Space doesn’t allow us to keep up with the demand for programming • Field trips sell-out early

• Maximum capacity is 150 students

• Demand far exceeds space

• In 2018, 5,503 students turned away

• SPARK! seeking new home • Anticipated traffic over 750,000 visitors per year at full

scale

• Need outdoor space in addition to indoor

• Fair Park under consideration

SPARK! EXPANSION

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2nd Grade through High School: Age at

which children are aware of and actively

developing creative skills.

Low-Income Community: More than 40% of

the children served in all programs come

from low-income families.

Classrooms & Scouts: Programming brings

curriculum to life and meets scout merit

badge requirements.

Audience Served

Week Long Camps – offered over holidays,

spring break & summer. SPARK! Camps

keep kids’ brains working through hands-on

activities and creative play.

School Field Trips – aligned with TEKS

(Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills)

requirements, field trips offer education

through fun, creative exercises.

Creator Studio – children explore creativity in

STEM: programming, graphics, robotics, 3D

work, laser and vinyl cutters, and more in

pursuit of their own passion projects.

Themed Programming Days – offered

throughout the year, families and groups

participate in hands-on activities.

Types Of Programs

PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES

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• Big Thought

• Big Brothers Big Sisters

• Boy Scouts of America

• Boys and Girls Club

• CitySquare

• Cristo Rey Dallas

• Family Gateway

• The Family Place

• Genesis Women’s Shelter

• Girl’s Inc.

• Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas

• Jubilee Park

• The Momentous Institute

• Notre Dame School

• The Salvation Army

• The Stewpot

• Uplift Education

• Vickery Meadows Eagle Scholars

• YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas

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COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS

www.sparkdallas.org

www.facebook.com/SPARKDal

@SPARKDallas

@SPARK_Dallas

Beverly Davis, President & CEO

(214) 421-7727

bdavis@sparkdallas.org

Thank you for your time!