SPARK GROWTH

THE
IMPACT:

2,084

Youth served annually on average.

96%

of Spark-Y Pathways youth were paid for their participation.

86%

of youth report they want to continue their Spark-Y experience.

Since 2013, our team - many of them Spark-Y alumni themselves - have facilitated groundbreaking, real-world learning experiences for youth in classrooms, sustainable project sites, or at our world headquarters / makerspace in Northeast Minneapolis.

Many in the media have taken note of our work and its impact:

Awards and Recognition:

  • Twin Cities Business Journal

    2024 Community Impact Award: Youth Initiative. Read the details of this award.

  • CBS / WCCO Morning Show

    Spark-Y Executive Director, Zach Robinson, was featured on CBS Morning Show for Art-A-Whirl.

  • Minnesota Twins At Bat for Impact

    Spark-Y featured in the 2025 “Planting Purpose” fundraising cycle, with on-field recognition.

  • Environmental Initiatives Honoree

    Holland Basin Project, Sustainable Impact. Learn more about these awards.

  • Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal

    Zach Robinson named: “40 Under 40.”This award was also featured in My Northeaster “Earth Watch” article.

  • Environmental Initiatives: Project Winner

    Spark-Y and Edison High School Green Campus. Award details.

  • Star Tribune

    “Minneapolis program sparks youth careers through community projects.”
    May, 2024. Read the article.

  • CBS Local News Feature

    Northside STEM District Unveils Mobile Innovation Lab. 2020 Feature. Watch here.

  • NPR: Food for Thought

    “How Hydroponic School Gardens Can Cultivate Food Justice, Year-Round.” July, 2019. Read article.

  • Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal

    “How Spark-Y teaches sustainability and entrepreneurship to Twin Cities youth.” June, 2019. Read article.

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Four Impact Areas

Igniting the core, career, and communities of young people

  • Youth Activation

    At the heart of everything we do at Spark-Y is providing opportunities for youth to gain paid classroom credit, employer-backed certifications, diversionary support, and marketable professional experience through our safe and supportive suite of Spark-Y programs.

    Our groundbreaking programming serves youth ages 6-24 in an environment that fosters personal and professional development and provides real-world, hands-on learning experiences that shape their core, career, and community selves.

  • Sustainable Community Projects

    We engage youth in executing monumental sustainable infrastructure projects to gain resumé-building, soft and hard skill experiences in STEAM and sustainability — resulting in measurable benefits for the environment. Our commercial contracts focus in our areas of sustainable expertise, such as urban agriculture and stormwater management, and are supported by our network of companies and trade experts across engineering, carpentry, automotive, and more. Youth activated in our projects receive mentorship from industry experts that launch career interest and future outplacement opportunities.

  • Education In Schools

    Spark-Y school programming, serves youth ages 6-18 years old in traditional and non-traditional school settings, such as in the classroom, at workshops, and in afterschool programming. Youth in Spark-Y school programs are engaged in hands-on learning in STEM, sustainability, and entrepreneurship topics. Our hands-on learning model creates measurable, positive impact on student learning retention, classroom engagement, and interest in STEAM and sustainability.

    Support for Spark-Y school programming provides education for youth in underserved communities and reduces student-to-teacher classroom ratios. It also provides our school partners access to more resources and funding opportunities through our involvement.

  • Incubation + Commercialization

    Igniting young entrepreneurs.

    Youth, interns, and apprentices participate in Spark-Y’s makerspace and in-house sustainable agriculture systems to innovate, test ideas, and activate micro-enterprises. Enterprises, such as growing and selling microgreens and retailing STEAM kits, generate revenue and provide real entrepreneurial experience for youth.

Ready to partner for impact?

With the under resourcing of of many schools state wide, and the teacher shortage crisis especially in Math and Science, Spark-Y is providing a multi-tiered, outsourced and engaging, partnership model to schools and is currently taking partnership inquiries on our waitlist.

Sign me up!