Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Education is the primary vehicle by which economically disadvantaged children can lift themselves out of poverty; however, poor children face challenges such as insecurity related to food, shelter, and transportation, as well as exposure to violence. In many communities, the services students need to succeed in school are spread across several social service organizations, which can cause a logistical challenge for teachers and school administrators. SparkWheel uses the National Integrated Student Supports model, implemented by trained Student Support Coordinators, to connect students and their families to critical educational and community-based resources. This involves working hand-in-hand with schools, communities, and families to identify their unique needs and surround students with a caring network of support.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
SparkWheel
Through SparkWheel’s Integrated Student Supports framework, we help support students’ academic and non-academic needs, resulting in an increased sense of well-being and greater success in school. The SparkWheel Integrated Students Supports model is evidence-based, helping students and families overcome challenges that hinder learning or prevent students from attending school regularly. We customize services for every school, placing a Student Support Coordinator in each location to provide supports for individual students, as well as supports accessible by the whole student body.
FutureNow: Finance
A fast-paced, hands-on financial literacy simulation. Before attending FutureNow: Finance students complete a lifestyle survey describing their lives as 26-year-olds: their jobs, salaries, family, homes, even shopping habits, and entertainment. SparkWheel staff then compares their surveys with their current school performance and assigns fictional jobs, salaries and families. Students are then challenged at FutureNow: Finance to make ends meet using their salaries to pay for all the necessities of life: child care, transportation, groceries, homes, utilities, student loan payments, etc.; plus budget for fun things like vacations and entertainment and invest and save for the future.
In-person, live simulations are available, as well as online simulations through the SparkWheel YouTube Channel.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of high school seniors who graduate from high school on time
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
SparkWheel
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of participants reporting change in behavior or cessation of activity
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
SparkWheel
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of youth who demonstrate that their school attendance has improved
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
SparkWheel
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
SparkWheel trains and places highly qualified Student Support Coordinators directly into schools. Once there, our job is to connect students and their families to basic and critical community resources that are tailored to each student's specific needs. By providing students with a one-to-one relationship with a caring adult, we create a safe place to learn and grow, a strong start to a healthy future, a path toward a marketable skill upon graduation, and a chance to give back to peers and the community. As a result, this evidence-based Model called integrated student supports (ISS) is proven to both decrease dropout rates and increase graduation rates. ISS is a “school-based approach to promoting students' success by developing or securing and coordinating supports that target academic and non-academic barriers to achievement. These resources range from traditional tutoring and mentoring to the provision of a broader set of supports, such as linking students to physical and mental health care and connecting their families to parent education, family counseling, food banks, or employment assistance. While ISS programs take many forms, integration is key to the model - both integration of supports to meet individual students' needs and integration of the ISS program into the life of a school" (Moore and Emig, 2014).
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our strategy focuses on the SparkWheel Levels of Support Model, delivered through the Student Support Coordinator to students at each SparkWheel site, and incorporates a rigorous program evaluation process. The program evaluation process at SparkWheel begins with quality practices in recording student demographics, school demographics, and needs assessment data. Data are used to thoughtfully create plans to help students and schools attain success in identified focus areas. Student Support Coordinators measure progress against target goals during the evaluation stage. Throughout the school year, SparkWheel engages in rigorous and ongoing data collection, analysis, evaluation, and reporting to adhere to continuous project improvement.
Data is gathered at the outset of each project school year and continues to be collected on an ongoing basis (at the end of each grading period-end and annually). A proprietary encrypted data management system, “Apricot 360,” collects data from Student Support Coordinators at all school sites. SSCs receive ongoing training from SparkWheel programmatic leadership and the Director of Data and Evaluation to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of data reported. At the end of every grading period, individual student/family data for all enrolled students with valid parent/legal guardian consent forms are collected and include mathematics and reading grades, available standardized assessment data, frequency of participation in services, in- and out-of-school suspension rate, rate of violent acts at school, frequency of participation in program enrichment services, average daily attendance rate, enrollment status, and promotion status.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The effectiveness of our work stems from the development of the SparkWheel Model of Integrated Student Supports. Our Student Support Coordinators (SSCs) first conduct a comprehensive review of school and student strengths, assets, and needs. Using that information, the SSCs develop customized school, and student plans to meet identified needs and build upon strengths and assets. Next, SSCs provide integrated and coordinated support at the school, student, and family levels. Throughout this time, they develop intentional relationships and partnerships with students, families, school staff, and the community. They also conduct data tracking and reflection for continuous student and program improvement.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Our students receiving individualized services achieved the following results last school year: 84% of students improved their academics, 74% improved their attendance, 83% improved their behavior, and 82% of Seniors graduated.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
SparkWheel
Board of directorsas of 02/14/2024
Mr. Alex Delaney
MAD Ones Marketing Group
Term: 2022 - 2025
Don Turnbaugh
Bucher + Suter
Cindy Wilson
Liberty Utilities
Alex Delaney
MAD Ones Marketing Group
Paul Carttar
Carttar Consulting, LLC
Matt Godinez
Kansas Commerce
Steve Karlin
Newman University
Dion Lake
Capital Federal
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 07/18/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.