OUR MISSION
To ignite the spark of creativity inherent in all children.
ABOUT SPARK!
A 501(c)(3), SPARK! provides children from second grade to high school with a fully immersive creative environment and hands-on learning that develops their self-definition as creative individuals. Located in the historic South Side Building, SPARK! layers a myriad of creative disciplines to spark the imagination, expand the mind, and engage the body. Through an endless roster of workshops and pop-up activities, students exercise their creativity and learn from creative experts, innovators, and artists.
As children grow older, they become less confident in their creative abilities. This is compounded by the fact that there is a significant drop-off in creative educational opportunities in public schools beyond the 6th grade. By the age of 16, children either define themselves as “creative” or “not creative.” Children who define themselves as creative have higher self-esteem and better problem solving skills, leading to better performance in school and on the job.
OUR SOLUTION
The hands-on learning and total creative immersive environment of SPARK! provides students with individualized learning that helps them embrace their full creative potential. By giving students the confidence to be creative, access to creative programming, and educating them in the creative process, SPARK! will lead the way in helping more students acquire creative skills to excel in school and compete in the workforce. Click here to plan your visit today!
SPARK! VISION
Our vision is to offer a unique environment that combined with creative programming inspires minds, builds confidence and shapes the future for all children.
By exposing a young generation to a fully immersive creative environment, with hands-on learning, we empower today’s youth to become the problem solvers and innovators of the future.
SPARK! serves the children of our community through field trips, camps, after-school programming and weekend activities to ignite their creativity and augment their learning. We continually monitor and track the performance of our programs and the impact they have on the children we serve. We test, research, and develop programming that will have a positive, lasting influence on students’ academic performance, problem solving skills and self esteem. Program offerings continue to expanded to meet the myriad interests, technologies and opportunities for kids.
THE INSPIRATION
SPARK! was founded in 2010 by Beverly Davis, Devon Davis and Amy Hite. Inspired by visits to the City Museum in St. Louis, the founders’ vision is to bring a similar but expanded facility to Dallas. Studies show that children who self-define as creative have higher self-esteem, better problem solving skills and go further in their education. All children are inherently creative but not all children are given the opportunity to explore and develop their natural creativity. SPARK! lets children realize their true creative potential, positively affecting academic performance, confidence and self-esteem.