A Guide to Spark-Y in 2014:

2014 newsletter
Sustainable Education Lab:

School Programming:

Our lab features:

* Biosafety level 1 lab
* Mushroom incubation chamber
* Spirulina and duckweed cultivation
* Commercial vermacomposting

5 new classes

29 mushroom kits &

10 vermicomposting kits sold

25 new interns &

350 new students

Population Served:

Community Impact:

Our organization serves:

Youth: 90% of our population is
between the ages of 12-18 years
50% of our youth are minorities
50% of our youth qualify for
subsidized school lunches

14 aquaponics systems
(thats about 1,145 gallons)

4 restaurants
purchasing our produce

87 cents of every dollar

donated to SparkY goes
directly to our programming

Spark-Y Intern Spotlight: Miranda Hanson

Miranda Hanson was our first intern from
the Environmental Sustainability
program through the University of Minnesota
Higher Education Consortium for Urban
Affairs (HECUA). Mirandas primary
contribution has been her stability and
dependability throughout the semester in her
role as Education Project Facilitator, said
Spark-Y Lead Program Facilitator, Curtis
Wilson. In her role, Miranda is responsible for
developing curriculum that could be
duplicable for future school programming,
matching education to our in-classroom
sustainable systems, such as aquaponics.
We caught up with Miranda to find out about
Every year a group of talented youth is her experiences as a Spark-Y intern and how
its made a difference for her. When asked
selected to be a part of our
how she chose to participate in Spark-Y,
Sustainable Education Lab (SEL). This
elite group of individuals is chosen from Miranda said: I have always been interested
Spark-Y high school programs, along with in aquaponics, but have never had an
college students and graduates interested opportunity to work with it. So when I read
in sustainability. As interns with Spark-Y, about Spark-Y my interest was instantly
sparked.
each individual works to grow and
Miranda has been actively working with the
develop our organization.
majority of our school programming partners,

Above: Miranda proudly represents Minnesota Lakes at the Minnesota Climate Justice Rally

including: MNIC St. Paul, MNIC Unity,

Southside Family Charter School, and FAIR
School. Miranda enjoys many aspects of her
internship experience, particularly: Getting to
work with students and seeing them become
intrigued by aquaponics and sustainable
practices. They wouldn't have opportunities
like these if it werent for
Spark-Y, and I feel very rewarded for having
been a part of it. And her most memorable
experience? I volunteered at the Youth CAN
convergence at El Colegio High School as a
timekeeper for the workshops it was fun to
see the Spark-Y workshop on aquaponics,
and some other workshops on climate
change.
Its youth like Miranda that make a sincere
difference in the vitality and growth of our
organization, all while our interns get
valuable experience in sustainability and job
preparation. Curtis summarized it best:
We are proud and honored to have
Miranda a part of our Spark-Y family.

SPARK-Y: Youth Action Labs

4432 Chicago Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55407

Donate
at www.spark-y.org or by mail:
4432 Chicago Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55407
Contributions to Spark-Y, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization,
are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

A Note from our Executive Director:

A Spark-Y Tribute:

2014 was another breakout year for Spark-Y: We successfully expanded

programming by nearly doubling the number of youth served, from 250 students in
2013, to 470 in 2014. We doubled in growth financially in 2014, expanding our
operating budget to create additional programming. Exciting as these metrics are,
they are only a few indicators of our reach. Our greatest impact is in the
experiences our youth are having- a result of Spark-Y youth volunteers, interns,
and staff and their countless hours of hard work and commitment to our
organizations mission. Their intelligence and impassioned efforts empower
themselves, their peers, and the community. They continue to be a force for
sustainability in the world.

In 2014, Spark-Y Board of Directors,

staff, and volunteers honored the life
and legacy of our very own sustainable
warrior: Kirk K. Marschel.

In 2015, we need your support to continue on our path, deepening the impact of
our programming. Through the growth of our Operations Team we will continue to
increase the number of youth served and engage wait-listed programs and
partnerships. We look forward to expanding our produce sales to local restaurants
and farmers markets, creating an income stream to further support our mission.

In honor of Kirks memory, we have

re-dedicated the lab as: the Kirk K.
Marschel Sustainable Education Lab.

Stand with Spark-Y, stand with our youth empower our future.
-Executive Director, Zach Robinson
Board of Directors:
Mary Helen Franze, Founder
Tammie Follett, Chair
Emma Robinson, Communications
Ben Russell, Marketing
Terri Joski-Lang, Partnerships
Tanya Kellar, Treasurer
Lorraine Johnson Griffin, Human Resources

Kirk was an incredible asset to our

organization, bringing advanced
knowledge of sustainable practices to
our school curriculum and lab projects.
He was a leader for others and a friend
to many. While his presence is missed,
his contributions live on.