🌸Students Leading the Way This Spring
Spring has been full of innovation and leadership at Spark-Y!
From student-built labs and creative workshops to community partnerships and graduating apprentices, our youth continue to lead the way in sustainability and hands-on learning. Here are some highlights from the season.
🌸 A New Aquaponics Lab at Northeast Middle School
This February, Spark-Y launched a brand-new aquaponics lab at Northeast Middle School, led by STEM Educator Madison Tomony and built with the help of apprentices Olivia, Russ, Gray, and TJ.
The lab features three distinct aquaponics systems - including Spark-Y’s first-ever saltwater system! - alongside fish habitats, a red slider turtle enclosure, and lab equipment for exploring aquatic life grown within the systems. The space represents a culmination of apprentice efforts and collaborative building, and we’re excited to use the space for years to come.
🌸 Celebrating Our Graduating Apprentices
We're proud to celebrate the graduation of four outstanding apprentices: Corinne Byus, Luis Coria Palma, Victoria Donovan, and Franci Haeg!
Several of these apprentices have been with Spark-Y for a very long time, contributing deeply to our programs and community. Franci, Corinne, and Victoria played major roles in hands-on sustainability initiatives, project builds, and youth programming. Luis brought his talents to our administrative team, supporting finance and accounting work that helped strengthen Spark-Y behind the scenes. We are incredibly grateful for these apprentices’ dedication to the organization, and can’t wait to see what they do next!
🌸 Shark Tank With Our Board Members
Apprentices pitched their ideas at a Spark-Y Shark Panel featuring board members and community leaders. Panelists included Makenna Short, Board Member Dan Lieberman, Board Member Chris Lenhart, and a VOA English teacher.
Participants received feedback from the panel and walked away with prize baskets from local businesses. The event was an opportunity for youth to practice entrepreneurship and public speaking, and share their ideas with connectors in the community.
🌸Creativity Fest
In January, Spark-Y apprentices and staff led an Aquaponics Exploration workshop at the 2026 Creativity Fest hosted by SparkPath at the University of Minnesota. Across two days, we welcomed approximately 160 students in grades 3-5. In just 55 minutes, students rotated through four interactive stations:
Seed sowing and microgreens tasting
Microscope investigations of aquatic organisms and seeds
Water testing for pH and ammonia
Exploration of a DIY mobile aquaponics system designed by apprentices
Students learned about the nitrogen cycle, water circulation, and the basics of aquaponics through hands-on learning. Our team had an amazing time introducing younger learners to environmental science concepts, and the excitement in the room made it clear they loved it too!
🌸Adopting Storm Drains
Spark-Y has officially “adopted” four storm drains around the Casket Arts Building in Northeast Minneapolis. Through this program, apprentices will help maintain the drains and support treatments that reduce runoff pollution and protect local waterways.
This initiative reflects our commitment to local environmental stewardship and gives youth a tangible way to care for the ecosystems in their own neighborhood. The storm drains have officially been named:
Casket Falls
It’s Goin’ Down for Real
Grate Times
Drainbow Road
Check them out next time you’re in Northeast!
🌸January Certifications Milestone
Spark-Y apprentices started the year strong, earning 31 certifications in January:
17 Urban Farming
11 Garden Management
3 Entrepreneurship.
On January 14, all 28 AIM students received their certificates, recognizing their hands-on learning in sustainability, agriculture, and business leadership, skills they can carry into higher education and future careers. As one student shared, “It’s a fun program that you can learn a lot from and it’ll look good on your resume.”
Students from AIM academy earned the other 3 certifications in Entrepreneurship, developing business concepts addressing real community needs. One designed a daycare model for parents working remotely, another created a soccer nonprofit for Spanish-speaking youth, and a third planned a bakery selling products at school. Spark-Y staff delivered framed certificates to recognize these achievements and celebrate the students’ creativity, initiative, and growing leadership.
🌸 STEM Education at AIM Academy
This semester, apprentices Leni, Quinn Jurek, and Franci Haeg led programming at AIM Academy. The team recently wrapped up their work and received enthusiastic feedback from both students and teacher Justina.
Their leadership and consistency delivered a meaningful, hands-on curriculum, continuing Spark-Y’s mission of bringing sustainability education directly into classrooms.
🌸Scaling our Impact: Mini Aquaponics Systems
Apprentice Russ has been developing standardized mini aquaponics systems designed for classroom use. Using the Spark-Y Glowforge and workshop, he created a prototype that successfully tested the concept.
The goal is to produce an accessible, replicable aquaponics kit that educators can easily integrate into classrooms, making sustainability education more scalable and accessible to our school partners.
🌸🌸🌸
This spring has been an apprentice-forward season, where young people have been given the tools and opportunities to lead and build incredible things. Designing labs, pitching businesses, and innovating new systems, Spark-Y apprentices are shaping a more sustainable future. Thank you for being part of our community and supporting youth leadership in sustainability!
