In our search for Lumenaries (educators) and SparQs (students), we seek out individuals doing incredible work for communities in need. Most often, the projects these heroes engage in are long-lasting, working with these communities year over year and touching many lives. As we share their stories and good work, we catch but a glimpse of their impact.
However, beyond our mission to spotlight existing heroes, we also hope to cultivate new ones. In doing so, we seek to spotlight younger students in pursuit of providing a social good. They may have a single project impacting a small group of people within a specific timeframe. On the other hand, their project may be a launch point for some grander objective. While their stories might not be as comprehensive and far-reaching as Lumenaries and SparQs, their impact is nonetheless valuable and significant. We see these individuals as heroes in the making.
Today we introduce the Ember Project to promote this aspect of our mission. The focus of the Ember Project is to highlight student projects that provide a social good for a group or community confronted with a problem. The project may stem from a classroom activity or initiate solely through the student’s personal interests and goals. Our direct support for the project can come in many forms with the intent to promote and enhance their work in a manner they could not otherwise accomplish on their own.
We have partnered with Westside Neighborhood School, integrating the Ember Project with the school’s 8th-grade capstone, called the Passion Project. As with LumenSparQ, the UN Global Sustainable Development Goals drive the Passion Project, and the students’ projects often focus on underserved or underrepresented communities and the problems they face. We will provide a monetary contribution for a selected project(s) that aligns with our mission and demonstrates a need for financial support. Ultimately, the funding must directly impact the community addressed in the project.
Look for a follow-up post regarding our first recipients in the coming weeks. Additionally, please reach out to us if you have a school or program in mind that would fit well with the goals of the Ember Project. We are eager for new partnerships and ways to collaborate.