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, One of Our Sparks Music Therapists
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
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 …
Top Areas of Progress for Sparks’ Students in 2024-2025
The school year has ended and summer is in full swing! Our Sparks students have a lot to be proud of in their progress over the past school year. Sparks’ music therapists worked tirelessly this year to help our students learn many social and emotional skills. Each student had up to three individual skills being measured across all sessions. In …
Stress Awareness Month and Music
April is a busy time of the year, which can often lead to stress! It also happens to be Stress Awareness Month. How stressed are you? Take the Perceived Stress Quiz Here According to the World Health Organization, stress can be defined as, “…a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation…that prompts us to address challenges …
World Music Therapy Week
It’s one of our favorite times of the year at Sparks! April is World Music Therapy Week, and we are so excited to highlight the music therapists who are devoted to our students’ success. Each therapist goes through a rigorous training program, including at least 80 hours of academic coursework and 1,200 hours of supervised clinical work. Sparks’ therapists are …
March is National Music Month
March is a musical month! Not only is National Music Month celebrated in the United States, but it is Music Therapy Month in Canada. With this theme of music in the air (or at least in North America 😉), Sparks wants to highlight some of the distinctions between music therapy and music, as well as aspects of music therapy that …
Black History Month
It’s Black History Month, a time of reflection on the many contributions of the Black community and culture to the rich diversity of our nation. Did you know that 2026 will mark 100 years since Black History Month was founded? In 1915, a Black man named Carter G. Woodson realized that many educational materials available at the time did not …
Sparks Receives Another Grant!
The WoodNext Foundation, a component fund administered by Greater Houston Community Foundation, has awarded Sparks for Success with a generous grant to provide music therapy sessions to more children during this school year. The WoodNext Foundation prioritizes the areas of mental health and homelessness that Sparks addresses as we work with our students. All of us are grateful to The …
A Look Back at 2024
Happy New Year! It’s a refrain often repeated during this time of year, but it’s also a time of reflection over the past year. Sparks for Success has many things to be grateful for from 2024. Here are some of the highlights: January: Sparks announced having received a grant from WoodNext! February: Spring music therapy sessions got underway. March: Several …
