Community Spotlight

Teamwork Leads to Success: SPARK Product Development Provides Their Skills to Help Beautify John Rolfe Middle School

by Sadie Porter

 

It’s always a delight to receive a helping hand, especially when it comes to keeping our schools in tip-top shape. 

 

SPARK Product Development was kind enough to offer their services and collaborate with Start 1 Spark to help clear out classroom storage spaces at John Rolfe Middle School. 

 

John Rolfe is uniquely built — for every four classrooms, there is a shared “pod” in the middle designed to be a small group instructional room. 

 

Over time these pods have accumulated broken whiteboards, old                                  stacks of paper, and lots of supplies that could be salvageable. In                                     order to turn these storage spaces into the small group classrooms                                      as intended, a lot of heavy lifting had to be done.

 

Thankfully, SPARK was willing to use their muscles and put in the                                     work!

 

“We're a team of mechanical engineers and product designers. We                                      are really good at using our hands…so for us it was how we can use                                      our hands to do volunteer work,” said Philip O’Connor, Managing                                     Partner of SPARK. 

 

O’Connor believes it’s important to work with local non-profits like Start 1 Spark.

 

“We give time away from the office to support whatever [volunteer work] our employees want to do,” O’Connor said. “It is important that we as a group also give back to the community.” 

 

O’Connor discovered Start 1 Spark through the Community Foundation Engagement Center when he was looking for a group service project. He contacted Start 1 Spark’s Executive Director, Amber Lancaster, and coordinated a service project that best fit SPARK’s skills and Start 1 Spark’s needs. 

 

As Start 1 Spark’s first partner school, John Rolfe Middle School has received new instruments for the band, snacks and equipment for sports teams, and supplies for the FIRST LEGO League team. Over the years, many groups have helped with various clean-up projects around the school. 

 

                                                                         Assistant Principal Nicole Armstrong recognizes                                                                             the importance of having Start 1 Spark to “fill in                                                                               the gaps.” 

 

                                                                         “[Cleaning out the pods] is going to help the                                                                                     students because the pods can be used for small                                                                           group activities or pull outs for students to be                                                                                 able to have sessions with their teachers,”                                                                                         Armstrong said. “Also for students that might need a quiet space to work.”

 

John Rolfe has a large special needs population. Having the extra space available within the classrooms will allow instructional aids to create an engaging learning environment, ultimately benefitting all students and teachers.  

 

By coordinating service projects between local businesses and partner schools, Start 1 Spark helps build stronger school communities. Teamwork is the backbone of progress — the more we work together, the greater the outcome will be!