The Spark Foundation
Igniting Inspirations & Aspirations
The Spark Foundation is for talented students who want to succeed outside their economic and social constraints. We offer them the opportunity to experience a broad range of academic and career possibilities. This helps them realize that their place in the world is determined by their efforts and success, not their background. They see that they can fit in with a wide range of other talented young people.
We are currently working only with Somerville High School, Somerville, MA.
“The Rendell scholarship provided me the opportunity to have an inspiring summer experience at Wellesley College, which made me a lot more prepared and confident about attending college.”
Who we are
Our mission is to support students who
- Are motivated
- Have demonstrated academic abilities
- Already have the spark of ambition
- Are looking for ways to succeed in a broader world
What we do
We offer summer scholarships to 10th and 11th grade Somerville High School students in Somerville, MA. The Foundation pays for the cost of the summer program, and frequently travel and living expenses.
The scholarships are to attend
- Summer sessions at colleges
- College readiness workshops
- Outdoor experiential learning
- Other appropriate programs
The purpose of these scholarships is to
- Improve students’ self-esteem
- Create a template for their academic ambitions
- Teach them that personal growth and careers go hand in hand
- Show them that they belong in the world they aspire to
“The summer program gave me a taste of what college is like so I’m a little bit prepared for it now. Being surrounded by such amazing young girls and talking about the struggles females go through made me want to do STEM even more so I could one day encourage other young girls that they can make it in such a male dominated field, too.”
Where students study
Spark Foundation students have attended these summer programs:
- Barnard Pre-College Liberal Arts Intensive
- Bentley University Wall Street 101 Camp
- Boston University Summer Challenge High School Program
- Columbia University Pre-College Summer Immersion on The Neuroscience of Psychiatric Disorders
- Columbia University Pre-College Summer Immersion Painting Intensive
- Georgetown High School Summer Program National Security and Intelligence
- Harvard Business Summer Academy
- Harvard Medical School MEDScience Summer Program
- Harvard Pre-Med Summer Academy
- Lesley University Pre-College Program Storyboarding
- National Student Leadership Conference Medicine and Healthcare
- National Student Leadership Conference Psychology and Neuroscience
- Smith College Pre-College Program
- Tufts Summer Session Intro to Calculus
- Tufts University Pre-College Program Engineering Design Lab
- Tufts University Pre-College Program Writing Workshop
- University of Connecticut Pre-College Summer Digital Animation & Motion Graphics
- Wellesley College Summer Exploratory Workshop
- Wellesley College Pre-College Summer Breaking the Glass Ceiling
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute Pre-Collegiate Outreach Program Fundamentals of Global Health Program
- Yale Young Global Scholars
- Youth Empowered Action Camp
How we select students
Students are selected by a teacher committee at Somerville High School, Somerville, MA.
Qualifications include
- Academic performance in school
- Leadership potential
- Resilience
- Demonstrated responsibility and follow-through
- Strong communication skills
- Financial need
“The Spark Foundation gave me the opportunity to grow into a better, more knowledgeable person. During the summer 2018, I had the glorious chance to attend a mini course at Harvard Business Academy. Those are 5 days that I won’t forget. They shifted my whole road to success. If this hadn’t happen, I wouldn’t be here where I wish to be.”
About us
The Foundation’s only program currently is at Somerville High School, Somerville, MA. There is a special meaning to this as Kenneth W. Rendell, the founder of the Spark Foundation, grew up in Somerville, MA in the 1940’s and 50’s. His family was dysfunctional, with deep financial disadvantages. His goal is to aid young people like himself who have realistic dreams of improving themselves and their community.
This program is to show these students that they belong in the world they are academically qualified for but frequently don’t feel a part of. The mission is to enable these students to believe that their hard work, fortitude and determination make them deserving and qualified for any sphere of American life they aspire to.
The Spark Foundation is a 501c3.