The SPARK Initiative is a non-profit organization that develops and delivers evidence-based leadership and mentoring programs that focus on promoting mental health, wellness, and resiliency in youth, sex trafficking survivors, and incarcerated men and women.
Origins Helping Men and Women Who Were Incarcerated
Founded in 2007, The SPARK Initiative became the first non-profit organization in Tampa, FL, to provide free programs to the incarcerated population that were derived from corporate leadership and wellness training concepts used in British Aeronautical Engineers, Tradewinds Resorts, and Risser Oil companies, among others. These programs spoke directly to the health inside of the incarcerated men and women instead of the illness or circumstances that led them there.
From 2007 – 2012, The SPARK Initiative served more than 2,500 incarcerated individuals. The Second Chance Training Program was facilitated to inmates, and staff in correctional facilities throughout Hillsborough County. Through this experience, we identified the increasing need for a preventative approach. Far too often, we would hear participants of our programs say, “I wish I would have learned this sooner.” Or “They should teach this in school.”
Shift Towards Prevention with Teen Mentoring
In order to reach those in need sooner, we began to work with our community’s most vulnerable population, our teens. In 2014, the first SPARK Mentoring Program was developed to Speak to the Potential, Ability, and Resilience inside every Kid.
In 2016, through many requests from other schools and organizations watching the impact our work was having in Tampa, we released the SPARK Teen Mentoring program to the public. The SPARK Pre-Teen program followed this in 2017, the SPARK Child Program in 2018, and the SPARK Young Child Program in 2020. The SPARK curriculum has since been published in 4 academic journals for its efficacy in creating individual and systemic change, identified by CASEL as a SELect program and implemented in over 40 states in the US and 36 countries around the world.
Continuous Service to Our Community’s Most Vulnerable Populations
Today, all of the programs and services at The SPARK Initiative, including the SPARK Mentoring programs, are implemented throughout our own community by our small team of 9. Each week, we meet youth, sex trafficking survivors, and incarcerated men and women where they are and shine a light on the Mental Health and Resilience already inside of them (their SPARK). Instead of focusing on what a person is lacking, we create a space for people to discover the resilience, well-being, and potential already available to them.
Through this education, people become better equipped to navigate their circumstances and less likely to fall victim to the inner workings of their feelings and emotions.
All profits made from the sale of our programs help support our local programming.
This year, in our community:
- SPARK Mentoring Programs will be taught to over 750 students at no charge to parents or schools.
- The Insight to Well-being program will be taught to over 300 women, military veteran men, and juvenile inmates.
- SPARK will invest in 8-10 teen interns through our SPARKing Change Intern Program.
- SPARK will donate 40 support group sessions to a local safe house for sex trafficking survivors, which will reach over 100 women.
We Believe…
No One Is Broken
At the core of all of our programs is the belief that no one is broken. While trauma is real, there is an essential component of every human being that remains untouched – our SPARK. When we understand the difference between the activities of our mind and the power of our SPARK, true transformation begins.
In seeing the potential in everyone.
When someone speaks to our SPARK and not our behavior, we see new possibilities and our true potential begins to reveal itself.
POSSIBILITIES ARE INFINITE
We found that when people see their resilience and the potential of their minds on an insightful level, something magical happens. Each time so-called “broken” and “hopeless” kids (and adults) have insight into their innate resilience, mental well-being, and potential, possibilities open up for them, their creative juices start flowing again, and they know how to solve their problems.
They become leaders and mentors themselves.
WE ARE ALL IN IT TOGETHER
… we are all in it together.
… in honoring diversity and inclusion.
… in respect and compassion.
We believe EVERYONE has a SPARK inside, EVERYONE has something valuable to offer the world and EVERYONE deserves a place at the table. We understand there is always a potential for unwanted behavior and circumstances in all aspects of life, but we challenge ourselves to spend very little time looking in that direction. Instead, we are laser-focused on shining a light on the SPARK inside all darkness. We are continuously honored to see that effort amplified year after year as we have joined forces with over 350 schools and organizations who share our belief of speaking to the potential, ability, and resilience inside of every kid.
IN TRANSPARENCY & COMMUNICATION
As an organization that is founded on serving our community’s most vulnerable population, we must be resilient and steady. We strive every day to take actions that are in our stakeholders’ best interest. That means we are consistently asking ourselves, as individuals and as an organization, if we are aligned with our values. Do the small decisions we make everyday, lead to the impact we want to make in our community?
LOVE WINS
Above all, in an often divisive world, are our decisions and actions creating more peace and love within those we are working with and those with whom we are in business?
Our evidence-based mentoring programs have supported hundreds of thousands of kids in 40 US states and 36 countries around the world. Research has proven that these kids now experience:
- A higher level of mental well-being
- Less difficulty in regulating emotions
- Increased resilience in the face of challenging circumstances
- Increased compassion for others
- Enhanced life skills, including decision-making, problem-solving, and communication.
This class has really helped me because when I was mad at my friend for talking bad about me, instead of fighting her or getting in trouble, I decided to let it go and now I just don’t talk to her.
I am more goofy and confident in myself. I found my SPARK.
I have come to know the different realities of my friends. I have noticed I don’t stress as much about the little things.
Our Team
We are a passionate group of educators and mentors who have been deeply impacted by an understanding of the resilience of our mind, our innate mental health, and the potential that lies within everyone, our SPARK. These personal transformations have led us to dedicate our lives to bringing out the SPARK in everyone, everywhere.
Our personal insights have led to:
- Improved relationships with our spouses, partners, and kids
- Decreased anxiety and depression
- Increased personal agency and self-awareness
- A sense of ease in the face of adversity
If you’d like to explore using the SPARK Mentoring Programs in your school or community, one of our SPARK team members would love to connect with you. Click here to book a call. For all other inquiries, please use the form below: