Community Sparkplugs is a proven, results-focused partnership with communities to achieve outcomes that matter to them, particularly those that affect the lives of young people and the communities that serve them.  Community Sparkplugs is designed for community leaders, activists, and change-makers who are committed to educational equity and youth development and seeking collaborative partnership to begin or scale their impact.

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Through Community Sparkplugs, we identify, equip, and support local leaders—parents, community leaders, change makers, and activists who are ready to take action on pressing challenges facing communities.  This program recognizes that transformational change often begins with passionate individuals who see possibilities others miss. 

Projects are intentionally designed as community-driven prototypes—small in scale but laser-focused on issues that directly affect children, families, and schools—allowing communities to test solutions, build confidence, and scale what works.

 

TRI works with community leaders to:

• Develop and refine innovative program models that address community-specific needs
• Build organizational capacity for program implementation and sustainability
• Establish data-driven systems to measure impact on young people's outcomes
• Create partnerships and secure resources to scale community impact

 

Across 32 states and hundreds of communities, the Sparkplugs program has produced measurable impact:

 

These initiatives have addressed youth mental health, literacy, leadership development, access to basic needs, inclusive recreation and more– several of which exceeded participation and outcome targets and established sustainable partnerships for expansion. Between 2021-2023, TRI partnered with the Kellogg Foundation to support Lowndes County Public Schools in Alabama with School Transformation and Community Sparkplugs interventions.

As TRI focuses on Transformation, Results, and Innovation, we're expanding partnerships with communities and foundations interested in cultivating community-driven change that delivers measurable outcomes for young people.