Around 2014, Cynthia met Amber Sarpy at a school district conference. They briefly introduced themselves and exchanged business cards. In spring 2016, Amber contacted Cynthia, who told her of the ongoing challenging behaviors exhibited by the children of inmates Sparks worked with, despite the children enjoying the music groups. Cynthia shared that Sparks was looking to make a change in the program.
Sparks for Success was incorporated in 2016. That’s when Amber, a Board-Certified Music Therapist, suggested Sparks begin providing Therapeutic Drumming sessions at area schools. Amber had worked with at-risk youth and was well-equipped to help launch this program.
Amber worked with our students at three schools, and Sparks received positive feedback from classroom teachers, school administrators, and even from the kids’ parents and caretakers. It became clear to us that, finally, we were making a difference in the lives of the children we served.
We were sad when Amber had to leave due to family responsibilities. However, she was key in helping Sparks get started with a program benefiting our students as they learned the skills they needed to become successful in the classroom.
