A Collaborative Effort Between Nonprofits and Communities to Grow Access in STEM and Computer Science
August 5 2025 · By BootUp
About the Project
SPARK is a collaborative initiative led by three mission-driven nonprofit organizations, BootUp, TERC, and Fun Zone Reading Club, working together to increase access to high-quality STEM and Computer Science education for children and families experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles, California.
This Community of Action Partnership (COAP), aims to build community-based programming that brings learning directly to youth in shelters, transitional housing, libraries, and community centers in LA.
How It Works
Trained Parent Instructors
We are looking to hire and train parents from the community as coding and STEM leaders. They will receive stipends, mentoring, and access to a supportive learning community.
Hosted at Trusted Local Sites in LA
Community centers, shelters, libraries, and housing providers host the camps. We bring the materials and curriculum - just need a room and internet.
Coding & STEM Camps for Kids
Elementary-aged youth experience fun, hands-on learning in Scratch, physical computing, and unplugged coding projects that nurture problem-solving and confidence.
Celebrations & Showcases
We honor the work of families and students with community events, sharing their projects and stories.
Why This Matters
Students experiencing housing instability often miss out on opportunities like after-school coding clubs or summer camps. We believe that:
CS and STEM education is a right, not a privilege. When we center families, remove barriers, and build local trust, amazing things happen.
We’re Looking For...
Community Centers & Shelter Partners in LA
Do you have space and a passion for empowering youth? Join us to bring free CS/STEM learning to your community.
Parents & Caregivers
Interested in becoming a parent instructor? No coding experience needed - just a willingness to learn and lead.
Funders & Donors
Your support helps us pay parents, buy equipment, and sustain local camps. Let’s build a future where every child can see themselves in tech.
Connect with Us
Want to learn more, partner with us, or donate?
Our Partners
TERC is a Cambridge, MA based nonprofit made up of teams of forward-thinking STEM experts dedicated to innovation and creative problem solving. For more than 55 years, TERC has taken a learner-centered approach to education in both formal and informal settings. TERC’s work encompasses research, content and curriculum development, technology innovation, professional development, and program evaluation. The Educational Gaming Environments group (EdGE) at TERC, founded in 2009, designs and researches STEM-learning games and technology tools for differentiated and adaptive learning. EdGE continues to use innovative methods in design and research to grow a suite of STEM and computational thinking (CT) learning games and activities and help inform the field about how game-based learning can be used to reach all learners, including those who learn differently.
Fun Zone Reading Club is a nonprofit that provides support and resources to the Skid Row community in Los Angeles, CA. Coach Ron encourages local hire solutions and brings together community members and volunteers to provide out-of-school-time (OST) experiences for youth experiencing homelessness, including after school programs, read-aloud sessions, field trips, summer jobs experiences, books, toys, school supply drives, and sports camps in support of homeless and low-income kids.
BootUp Professional Development is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating equitable, sustainable K–5 computer science programs, with a strong emphasis on serving underserved and underrepresented communities.
