The Spark Foundation is an equity-driven, nonprofit organization committed to celebrating and uplifting diverse voices and perspectives in children's literature. Our goal is help close the student achievement gap in the Des Moines area by providing children in historically underfunded and low-income communities access to high-quality, age-appropriate books. Since our founding in 2018, Spark has donated over 12,000 books that celebrate the uniqueness and diversity of our world to elementary students in the Des Moines public schools.

 

We believe books are the gateway to a better future. Early-childhood reading proficiency leads to better performance in schools and careers, as well as opens up children to worlds and perspectives they may not have experienced. By providing elementary students access to books with characters and authors that reflect themselves, their classmates, and the diversity of our community, it empowers them to be open to others with different experiences and perspectives.

 

At Spark, we are committed to empowering students and teachers by providing high-quality books that celebrate the uniqueness of our community and state. You can support that mission by donating below.