Spark Growth is a Literacy and Art Enrichment Program whose mission is to provide young children and their families with opportunities to participate in a voluntary, engaging, hands-on, inclusive, quality, and developmentally appropriate reading and art enrichment program to be offered on a monthly basis free of charge at various sites and schools within the Morongo Basin. This literacy and art program is intended to enhance ongoing efforts by private and public schools, family daycare homes, home schools, parents, caregivers and family members as they instruct, tutor, and assist young children in the development, acquisition, and proficiency of literacy and art skills.
The underlying goal for the Spark Growth! Literacy and Art Enrichment Program is to ‘spark’ an interest — intrinsically motivate children — in their development and proficiency of reading, writing, communication and creative, art-related skills. As a part of this goal, this enrichment program will utilize a ‘whole child’ approach which recognizes and values 6 domains of development as vital in children’s overall learning: aesthetic, affective, cognitive, language and literacy, physical and social domains.
Of great importance as well is our mission to build and maintain positive, trusting relationships and connections with children, parents, caregivers, families and adults participating in the program. Caring, respectful relationships such as these have the potential to contribute to children’s sense of competence in their overall learning and development. Connecting with and maintaining genuine, positive relationships with children, families and supportive adults present opportunities for collaborative, respectful and intentional learning. As a result, children to come to the realization they are valued, contributing members not only of their learning community but the community at large – motivated to continue in the acquisition of knowledge and skills in many areas — seeing themselves as successful, lifelong learners.