Since 2006, the Tauck Foundation has
partnered with a range of independent youth agencies to develop
a unique, summer travel program for low-income, middle school students.
Together, we have created Sparks -- a structured, educational,
and highly experiential program for young people designed to be
implemented by a diverse range of youth organizations as either
an after-school and/or summer camp program.
Click here
to see a photo collection of Sparks activities.
Program Goals
Sparks is designed to help middle school students to …
- Gain an interest in travel, an appreciation for
new experiences, and a love of learning
- Develop a greater understanding and appreciation
for diversity and difference
- Increase their self-awareness, confidence, and
sense of independence
- Learn both individual and group responsibility
and how to work collaboratively with others
 Program
Overview
Sparks integrates creative, thematic after-school or day camp programming
with a 6-day summer travel experience. The program is comprised
of three different curricular units,
each of which is paired with a trip itinerary that offers a broad
array of learning opportunities, from history and culture, to world-renowned
institutions, rural and urban landscapes, ecology, etc. The youth
agencies implement a different curricular unit each year, allowing
students to participate for up to three consecutive years.
Approximately twenty-four students from
each partner agency participate each year. For the first portion
of the program, participants meet regularly to learn about the places
they will visit, to help plan the trip and to practice travel and
life skills, and to build a sense of mutual respect and responsibility
among the students and adults who will be traveling together. This
portion of the program may be completed over several months as an
after-school program or over 4-6 weeks as a summer camp program.
During the next to last week of the program,
the students, along with 4 chaperones and a professional tour director,
embark on a 6-day tour that includes sightseeing, experiential learning,
college and career exploration, and a good dose of fun. Participants
travel by motor coach, stay at hotels, dine in local restaurants,
and are provided with expert guides throughout.
The final week of the program is dedicated
to group and personal reflection. Each group prepares and delivers
a unique presentation to share their Sparks experience with family,
friends, and the community.
Partner Roles & Responsibilities
The Tauck Foundation provides a college intern to assist with the
program at each agency, provides all curricular materials, as well
as training for all agency staff involved in the program, and organizes
and funds all aspects of the 6-day trip.
Each of our partner
agencies recruits 24 students to participate in the
program, operates the program as a distinct component of its after-school
or summer camp program, and dedicates key staff to plan the program,
teach the curriculum, and to lead/chaperone the trip.
 Results
The Sparks program was conceived in 2005 and first piloted in Summer
2006. It has grown incrementally each year since.
Thus far, over three hundred students
have engaged in fun and educational activities throughout the summer.
The trips allow them to connect what they learn after school, in
camp, and in the classroom to the real world, making learning relevant
and exciting. They also develop important life skills – being
away from home for 6 days, living and cooperating with roommates,
developing travel know-how (restaurant etiquette, how to pack a
suitcase, how to check-in to a hotel, etc.).
As one Trip Leader noted, “There
were more teachable moments in that one week than I get in a whole
year of working with these kids.”
The Tauck Foundation has engaged an outside
consultant, Philliber Research Associates, to collect and compile
evaluation data. The study is designed to track participants’
growth in the following five areas: Acceptance of Responsibility,
Social Competence, Love of Learning, Self-Confidence, and Appreciation
of Diversity. In addition, students and staff are surveyed annually
on the quality of both the pre-travel curricular activities and
the trip experience. The foundation and our partner agencies collectively
review this evaluation and survey data each fall in order to improve
program components and delivery for the following year.
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