SparkLab wins Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Michigan’s 12th District

When asked what inspired the creation of SparkLab, the students said, “We were inspired to create SparkLab after recognizing a significant gap in the availability of affordable programs that nurture the passions of students in Dearborn. Many of the programs in the city come with high costs, leaving low-income families unable to participate and resulting in an equity gap. This challenge is not unique to Dearborn. A national study by After School Alliance showed that ”nearly 25 million children in the U.S. lack access to after-school programs”, which expresses the importance and scale of this issue.

Motivated by this, we saw a clear need for a solution that could address both local and global gaps in educational opportunities. That’s how SparkLab was born—a virtual platform designed to offer accessible, cost-effective resources to students, regardless of their location or background. By making SparkLab a virtual program, we aimed to remove barriers that prevent so many children from pursuing their interests and passions, ensuring that every student has the chance to learn and grow.

But we didn’t stop there. We knew that it wasn’t enough to simply provide students with access to programs. We wanted to ensure that what they learned would have a lasting impact on their futures. This led to the development of an additional feature within SparkLab: the Community Fair. The Community Fair is a platform for students to grow their entrepreneurial skills by creating, marketing, and sharing their products with their community. By incorporating this element, we aimed to build an entrepreneurial mindset within our learners, encouraging creativity and innovation, and growing their confidence. Our goal was to not only inspire students to dream big but also to give them the tools and experiences they need to bring those dreams to life.”