What we do
Project Spark helps refugee children develop a foundation of academic skills and confidence so that they can become independent learners capable of making meaningful contributions to the world.
One-to-One Teaching Model_____________________________________________________________
Volunteers meet with students on a one-to-one basis weekly. Meeting one-to-one allows teachers to best know the students, their abilities, and their learning gaps so that each teaching session can be designed specifically for the individual student's learning style and needs.
Volunteers also focus on building the student’s academic and social confidence as well as their love of learning through individualized attention. For most students, having an adult who checks in with them weekly and who cares about their future is invaluable.
Focus on Foundational Skills in English, math, and technology_____________________
Project Spark sessions focus on building foundational skills in English, math, and technology. We believe that providing a quality foundation in these elemental skills will allow our students to follow their special interests and passions independently - an important element of life-long learning.
We do not focus on homework support as this is available to our students from a number of other NGOs in Hong Kong. We also believe that the professional skills of our volunteer teachers are best leveraged when they focus on diagnosing and addressing learning gaps.
Tracking the Journey______________________________________________________________________
Teachers use their own professional judgement along with a standardized set of criteria to assess each student's entry point and progress in the programme. This not only informs the teacher of how to proceed each week but also allows the teacher and student to celebrate when specific milestones are reached.
All students are assessed with the Project Spark standardized criteria at the beginning and end of the school year so that Project Spark can measure and refine the effectiveness of its programme. The Project Spark standardized criteria assesses math and literacy skills as well as the student's confidence in learning.