Have you ever tried building a house? Or perhaps embarked on a renovation project? Tackling such a massive goal requires more than one person to make it happen. Sparks’ mission is far more encompassing. We seek to instill hope and resilience into the lives of those who are among the most marginalized in our society: children of parents who are …

Welcome to 2026! Each new year can often hold expectations and hopes for many of us, as well as moments of reflection on the past. 2026 is a special year for Sparks, as we celebrate our founding 10 years ago, in 2016. This decade milestone has us reflecting on many of Sparks’ milestones along the way, both individually with our …

When you think of childhood, what do you recall?  Birthday parties?  School bullies?  Passing notes in class? Kids over the centuries have been shaped by their early experiences. The more love and support a child receives, the more likely they are to become successful and give back to their communities. But when a child does not have the resources needed …

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 …

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 …

It’s hard to believe another school year is upon us! The school staff that Sparks worked with last year had many positive things to say about our students. As with the students, school staff received surveys to complete, reporting on the effects of Sparks’ music therapy groups on their students over the year. 7 staff members reported on the progress …

Summer break is upon us, which means kids are home from school with their families. Some may be planning vacations, while others may be relaxing at home. For children of inmates, their living situation often changes when their parent is imprisoned. When they go to live with a relative or in another environment, this change is known as “kinship care”. …

Meet Tania van Bree, one of the most recent music therapists to join the Sparks team! Tania was born and raised in Austin, Texas. She earned a Bachelors of Music Performance from DePaul University, a Master of Arts, Entertainment and Media Management from Columbia College of Chicago, and a Music Therapy Equivalency Distance degree from Saint Mary of the Woods …

Three Ways to Make a Difference for Mental Health Awareness Month Mental Health Awareness Month occurs each May. Founded by Mental Health America in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month was created to raise national awareness about mental illness, while also providing resources to promote mental well-being and reduce stigma. This year, the theme of Mental Health Awareness Month is Take …

In our our May 2025 blog post, we announced that 82% of Sparks students in 2024-2025 made progress on their individually assigned social-emotional learning (SEL) skill goals, per reports from our music therapists.  Not only did our music therapists report on the progress of the students, but our students also took a survey about their experience of participating in music …