Spark-Y (Spark Youth)

Spark-Y (branded Spark Youth) is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers hands-on STEM, urban agriculture, entrepreneurship and paid internship programs for middle- and high-school youth. Programs include in-school Action Labs, an urban agriculture lab that operates aquaponics/greenhouse systems, and year-round internship and job-preparation pathways that connect students to school credit and paid work experience. Since 2013 Spark-Y reports that more than 20,000 youth have participated in its programs; the organization maintains formal partnerships with Minneapolis Public Schools and other local community organizations to run garden-to-cafeteria pilots, in-class STEM labs, and youth-led sustainable business projects. In recent fiscal reporting (fiscal year ending August 2024) Spark-Y operated at a multi-million dollar scale, with program service revenue representing the majority of income while continuing to invest in youth employment and program expansion. The organization emphasizes workforce readiness, sustainable food systems, and youth entrepreneurship as core outcomes: students practice technical skills (aquaponics, vermicomposting, greenhouse operations), business skills (product planning, sales to local outlets), and employability skills through internships and paid positions.