Be a STAR Supporter

450 gifts to raise $48,600 for STAR After-School Arts

When the school day ends, every child deserves a place to belong, create, learn, and grow.

STAR After-School brings free creative learning and caring adult mentorship directly to 45 students at Holmes and Garfield elementary schools and Yasuhara Middle School.

For 33 weeks of the school year, STAR gives young people a consistent place to make art, write, explore STEAM, build relationships, and develop their voices — at no cost to participating families.

With generous support already committed from Innovia Foundation and Team Everyone, $48,600 remains to fully fund STAR programming for the 2026–27 school year.

We invite our community to help close this gap with 450 gifts by December 31, 2026 to fund Lead Teachers, Teaching Artists, snacks, supplies, and 33 weeks of creative learning and mentorship.

Why 450 gifts? If 450 people and organizations give an average of $108, together we’ll raise the $48,600 remaining to fully fund STAR for the school year.

Every gift, at every level, brings STAR closer to being fully funded.

45 students. 450 gifts. $48,600. 33 weeks of STAR.

What happens at STAR?

During the 2026–27 school year, STAR meets four days a week at Holmes and Garfield elementary schools and one to two days a week at Yasuhara Middle School, serving students and families in Title I school communities in West Central and Northeast Spokane.

From 3-5 pm, STAR creates space for creative play, exploration, and connection. A STAR afternoon might mean creating art, experimenting with trash puppets, writing and making graphic novels, exploring STEAM, working alongside a university mentor, collaborating with friends, or simply having a caring adult there to listen. Last year, STAR shared 4000+ contact hours and supported 900+ volunteer hours with the program.

Social-emotional learning is woven into STAR through SEL-focused journaling, games, and art activities, helping young people reflect, express themselves, and strengthen their voices.

Throughout the year, STAR students also perform and share their creativity with their families, giving young people opportunities to be seen, heard, and celebrated.

Want to see STAR in action?
Learn more about STAR After-School Arts, our students, and creative experiences that make the program special on Spark Central's webpage. STAR stands for: Storytelling, Teaching Artists, Arts Integration & Resilience.

Relationships make STAR possible.

STAR maintains approximately a 1:5 youth-to-adult ratio, surrounding young people with a community of caring adults.

Two lead instructors work alongside Spokane Public Schools teachers, approximately 23 volunteers, and university students from Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University Community Engaged Learning, and Whitworth University student workers and McDonald scholars.

Spark could not provide this level of individual connection without our university and school partnerships.

At STAR, learning happens across generations — young people, university students, educators, volunteers, and households all have a role.

Growing with our students

This year, STAR is growing with the young people we serve.

By expanding to Yasuhara Middle School, STAR can continue working with students who have participated in the program at their elementary schools over the past three years.

Instead of aging out of STAR when they leave elementary school, students can continue growing with the mentors, relationships and creative community they’ve come to know.

This age-forward approach allows Spark to build longer-lasting relationships with young people as they grow.

What is a year of STAR worth?

STAR provides at approximately $5,000 value per student, per year when compared to other after-school care programs—only STAR is provided at no cost to participating families.

A year of STAR means 33 weeks of consistent, school-based programming with access to creative learning, teaching and mentorship, a low youth-to-adult ratio, STEAM exploration, social-emotional learning, supplies and materials, and opportunities for students to perform and share what they create.

Comparable after-school childcare and enrichment can cost families thousands of dollars each year. By bringing STAR directly into Title I schools at no cost to families, Spark removes financial and access barriers while creating consistent opportunities for creativity, mentorship, connection, and belonging.

STAR is free to every participating family.

Be a STAR Supporter

We are inviting 450 people and organizations to become STAR Supporters and help raise the remaining $48,600 needed to fully fund STAR After-School Arts for the 2026–27 year.

Some will give more. Some will give less. Every STAR supporter brings us one gift closer to 450.

$25 helps put creative materials into students’ hands.

$54 supports hands-on art, writing, STEAM, and SEL experiences.

$108 STAR Gift is the average gift needed from 450 supporters to reach our $48,600 goal.

$500 makes a significant investment in consistent after-school learning and mentorship.

$2,500 represents the annual snack budget across three schools.

$5,000 makes a transformative investment in keeping STAR free and accessible to students across all three schools.

Your gift isn’t just supporting what happens between the final bell and the end of the afternoon.

You’re helping create 33 weeks of relationships, creativity, confidence, and belonging for Spokane young people.

45 students. 450 gifts. $48,600. 33 weeks of STAR.

Give today. Be one of the 450 and help STAR students shine.

Spark Central is a 501(c) nonprofit organization, and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law (EIN: 46-5367850).

Checks and stock gifts also welcome. Please write “STAR After-School Arts” in the memo or contact development@spark-central.org.

STAR After School Arts

We provide creative education through access to the arts and technology for 3rd through 5th graders at Holmes and Garfield elementary schools. Yasuhara Middle School two days a week after-school arts with Spark Central.