June 4, 2020 -

This year, we have worked very hard to bring our authentic voices to the Spark 101 blog (see the ridiculous picture of my sister and me). We most often focus on our work and the good going on in the world. However, given society’s current tumult and unrest, I have been challenged with what to say this week. Furthermore, as the parent to a multiracial child, I now see the world through less rosy glasses, and have struggled to make sense of the injustice that people of color have dealt with forever. Like many others, this pain and discomfort has opened the door for my team and me to have open and honest but difficult conversations. We have asked ourselves: How can we be part of the solution?

We support racial justice and we believe black lives matter. My colleagues and I are committed to continuing uncomfortable conversations within our team and facilitating these conversations with our Board, partners and donors.

We support educational equity. I feel proud that at Spark 101, we have always worked to increase this equity, providing free access to our resources to ALL teachers and students- not just those that had the financial resources to pay for them.  

We support equity of opportunity, especially in the STEM careers within which women and people of color are underrepresented. At Spark 101, we know representation matters and we work hard to highlight underrepresented professionals in our videos. 

We believe in the power of bringing the real world to students- wherever they are. We know that relevant, real world content builds understanding. We encourage parents and teachers to share our videos that highlight people of color with your students. Below are just a few of our videos that feature diverse business leaders:

•        Bithenergy: Managing Energy Consumption to Reduce Environmental Impact
•        AmerisourceBergen: Data-Driven Decision Making in Technology Design
•        Proctor & Gamble: The Chemistry of Long-Lasting Lipstick

Balancing our mission and beliefs, we decided we could help by providing resources for educators and parents who want to foster anti-racist discussions but do not know where to start.

Feel free to share other resources with us. We will update this list as we get them.

•       The National Education Association’s Diversity Toolkit
•        Race Talk: Engaging Young People in Conversations about Race and Racism
•        Anti-Bias Tools & Strategies
•        31 Children's books to Support Conversations on Race, Racism and Resistance
•        Resources from Black Lives Matter at School
•        Beyond the Golden Rule: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice
•        Embrace Race: 10 Tips for Teaching & Talking to Kids about Race
•        National Museum of African American History: Talking About Race: I am a Parent or Caregiver