As we enter into this season of giving thanks, Sparks for Success would like to thank all who have been reading our newsletters, financially supporting the work, sending other forms of encouragement, helping us spread the word about Sparks, and more.
Your support of Sparks has influenced many elementary-age students facing parental incarceration and separation to stay in school. This is critical to their well-being and success in life. Recent statistics have shown that students who disengage from school are:
- 2x more likely to live in poverty
- 3x more likely to be arrested
- 8x times more likely to be incarcerated
However, students who participate in the Sparks music therapy program experience the following positive benefits that are shown to be protective factors to poverty and incarceration:
- A caring, consistent, supportive adult they can trust
- Music as a fun outlet for expressing themselves
- Developing social and emotional control
- Learning how to interact effectively with others
- Gaining a different perspective on their situations
- Gaining confidence in their ability to make good choices
The list goes on. Specifically, self-esteem was strongly correlated with students staying in school and graduating. For the past two years, the majority of Sparks’ students have reported (as did their music therapists) that they made significant progress in their self-esteem as a result of music therapy.
While each child may only participate in music therapy for a brief time, these and other skills help them engage positively in school and can last far beyond their school years, affecting all areas of their lives.
Want to get involved in bringing positive changes to children of inmates?
