Help Ignite Life Long Change
SPARK FOUNDATION'S MISSION
To Spark opportunities for success among underserviced populations through the promotion of literacy and educational programs. Help Spark reduce the reading achievement gap between high and low income students and summer reading loss by ensuring every student has opportunity to build their very own person library.
The Spark Experience:
LOVE TO READ
Access
Providing students with the tools they need to successful outside of the classroom is key to success in the classroom. By allowing students the opportunity to self-select a minimum of 10 free books from literacy fairs hosted by Spark in partnership with Scholastic book fairs, students will be equipped with the tools necessary to maintain and or expand their reading level during winter, spring and summer vacations.
Growth
Support student on their journey from first to fifth grade, a school’s participation in "Love to Read" will grow a student’s personal home library by 50 books, provide exposure to a wide range of writing styles, and reduce the economic obstacles limiting book ownership among low-income families.
Community
At Spark, we believe the volunteers within the school should reflect the community. Our aim is to create opportunities for students, who's schools participate in "Love to Read", to engage with a diverse group of volunteers, community leaders, and authors.
FEATURED
BOOKS
Click to see what our students are reading.
SPARK FOUNDATION
Access Equals Success
A family's financial circumstances have a large impact on a child's reading abilities and college readiness. Statistics show that students from high-income homes have higher reading skills than students from low-income homes. 80% of this reading gap occurs during the summer months when low-income students have less access to reading material, causing them to fall behind.
We can make a difference.
​A 2013 study of first and second grade students at 17 schools, conducted over three years, found that providing low-income students with 12 to 15 books for summer reading resulted in:
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Lower summer reading loss
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Higher reading assessment scores &
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Greater motivation and interest in reading
Every child has potential, and no family’s financial situation should take away that child’s opportunity to succeed. With our program "Love to Read," Spark is looking to provide these same opportunities to all the students in the Des Moines Public Schools by ensuring each student enters the summer months with resources they need to be successful readers.
The Numbers
Per the most recent MAP testing, the statistics below represent the percentage of students reading at or above grade level.