Embedded Files
Empowering the Next Generation
SPARK 2025 High School Volunteer Program
SPARK 2025 High School Volunteer Program
This summer, SPARK volunteers made a powerful impact across our community. Through their dedication and commitment, students gained real-world experience, earned credit toward graduation, and inspired those around them.
What Volunteers Did
What Volunteers Did
Attended all scheduled trainings
Students came prepared, professional, and ready to represent SPARK.Tracked their hours
Volunteers carefully logged their service, ensuring accurate records of their commitment.Communicated their schedules
Students showed responsibility by keeping site leads and program coordinators informed.Followed through on commitments
Once placed, they showed up, stayed engaged, and proved dependable—kids and staff counted on them, and they delivered.Submitted credit forms
Many students successfully turned in their forms, earning verified hours toward school credit.
What They Learned
What They Learned
School credit earned
Dozens of students completed at least 45 volunteer hours, earning 0.5 high school credit toward graduation or electives.Leadership & role modeling
Volunteers became role models—whether working with kids, seniors, or local nonprofits, they represented SPARK, their schools, and themselves with pride.Respect & responsibility
Students learned the importance of respect—for staff, peers, children, families, and the community spaces where they served.
Program Overview
Program Overview
This summer, the SPARK Mentoring Program brought high school volunteers and younger students together in a powerful exchange of learning, leadership, and connection.
Mission
Mission
The primary mission of SPARK was to support multilingual refugee and immigrant students by building identity, fostering connection, and nurturing confidence through hands-on learning, mentorship, and summer enrichment experiences.
Who Participated
Who Participated
Mentees included incoming kindergarten through 8th-grade students, while high school students stepped into leadership roles as mentors—guiding, supporting, and encouraging their younger peers.
Mentor Roles & Goals
Mentor Roles & Goals
High school mentors served as positive role models, helping students feel welcomed and confident in new spaces. They assisted with classroom activities, supported enrichment lessons, and guided field trips. Above all, they built relationships that allowed younger students to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.
Program Overview
Program Overview
This summer, MCO hosted a Soccer Camp designed for elementary-age and middle school students, creating a fun and inclusive environment where multilingual children could grow both on and off the field. The camp focused on building soccer skills, teamwork, and confidence—while ensuring that every child felt included and supported.
Volunteer Role
Volunteer Role
High school volunteers played a vital role in making the camp a success. They helped run drills, played alongside students, modeled teamwork, set up equipment, and encouraged participation. While their main responsibility was assisting coaches and supporting games and drills, some volunteers also led small groups based on their comfort and skills.
No prior soccer or coaching experience was required. Volunteers simply needed a willingness to help, stay engaged, and learn alongside the younger kids—though soccer knowledge was always a bonus!
Skills & Impact
Skills & Impact
Volunteers walked away with strengthened leadership, communication, and mentoring skills, along with a deeper sense of responsibility and cross-cultural teamwork.
The camp environment also provided space for personal growth. Volunteers gained confidence by guiding younger students, built empathy by helping multilingual children feel included, and developed stronger communication skills while collaborating with diverse peers and staff.
The Soccer Camp not only strengthened students’ athletic skills but also built bridges of friendship, confidence, and cultural connection—showcasing the power of teamwork both on and off the field.
Program Overview
Program Overview
This summer, SEPO became a vibrant hub in Oshkosh where high school students stepped up as leaders and community builders. The SEPO Center was a space for learning, connection, and support—driven in large part by the students who volunteered their time and energy.
Volunteer Role
Volunteer Role
Locally, high school volunteers took on the responsibility of running the SEPO Center. They organized donations and created a welcoming environment for families. Volunteers also helped with cultural and community events, ensuring the Center remained a trusted space for growth and belonging.
Skills & Impact
Skills & Impact
By running the daily operations of the Center, volunteers learned valuable skills in leadership, organization, and teamwork. They gained confidence in guiding younger students, practiced responsibility in managing resources and donations, and built strong relationships with families in the community.
Through their service, students not only strengthened their own skills but also helped create a space where multilingual, immigrant, and refugee families felt supported, respected, and connected.
This summer, SEPO volunteers turned the Center into more than just a building—it became a place of welcome, learning, and community, powered by the energy and dedication of local students.
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