How can we collaborate to create change for children?

What do you get when you do what you’ve always done? It seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it? You get more of the same, whether that’s good, bad or indifferent. But when it comes to our children and young people, when we create the systems we’ve always created, and treat children as we’ve always treated them, what we get is a problem that’s compounded. Because when problems build upon themselves, they start to stack up. The effects start to grow exponentially.

⚡A few children disengaging from education becomes huge swathes of kids missing from the classroom.

⚡A handful of teens experiencing depression and anxiety becomes chronic mental health problems facing adolescents, and increasingly younger children.

⚡A small number of young adults not being equipped to enter the workforce becomes a whole generation who are struggling to find their place, saddled with huge student debts and lacking the right mindset to thrive in a complex world.

No longer can we do what we’ve always done, nor can we think in the way we’ve always thought. Our children and young people need us to step up, for them and with them, to radically change the way children are perceived, supported, nurtured and educated.

At The Spark Movement, this starts from the inside-out. We must change our understanding of who we believe children are at their core, recognising that they have innate wisdom and creative intelligence, rather than being empty vessels to be filled with knowledge. Instead of walking them on the path from childhood to adulthood as if it were a linear, one-size-fits-all process, we recognise that each individual child has a unique Spark, with gifts and talents to share and a unique journey to undertake through life. Raising and educating children then becomes a collaborative journey of exploration, rather than marching a dictated route to adulthood, as quickly as possible.

From Small Seeds Mighty Acorns Grow

If we truly want to create change for children, we need to approach the act of creating change from a new perspective. Rather than top-down leadership we believe in community-led collaboration. Rather than a right or wrong way, there are many resourceful and unresourceful routes to take, depending on the context in which each of us are living.

When we start from a foundation of creative exploration, facilitated in community, we can access a far greater depth of wisdom, inspiration and insight than when we work alone, in isolation, from our own limited perspective.

That’s why we’ve created Spark Seeds: a new monthly online network for parents and carers, educators, youth professionals and anyone who cares about children and young people and wants to be part of this movement to lead grassroots change for children.  

The network aims to create a space for people all over the world to come together to connect, share good practice and spark new ideas. By hearing about ‘what works’ in one area we can replicate the good, and by hearing about the challenges in another area, we know we are not alone.   

Crucially, the foundation of the Spark Seeds Network is not the actions people are taking or the ideas they’re developing, but the people themselves: passionate, heart-centred individuals who are leading from their Spark, rather than ego. We need Spark-powered teachers, parents, grandparents, counsellors, and youth workers who will create a space for children to connect to their Spark – their inner light and power – and stay rooted in who they really are. When adults are conscious, present, aware and living our own joy, we create an invitation for children to do the same.

Join the Network

If you’re an educator, youth worker or parent/carer that wants to be part of co-creating new models of schooling and ideas to support children to flourish, then we invite you to join us for Spark Seeds.

These informal online sessions are designed to spark new ideas, new connections, new collaborations and partnerships, and create a ripple effect of inspiration to support children and young people.

• Hear from inspiring changemakers who are creating new approaches to support children
• Learn new skills and approaches
• Explore monthly themes to enhance your parenting or practice
• Connect with other inspiring educators and parents
• Co-create new ideas for global change
• Join a digital community and make connections world-wide

Head to our events page to reserve a spot at our next network meeting, or subscribe to our newsletter to hear about future dates. Got some ideas to share, or interested in presenting at a future network meeting? We’re always on the lookout for interesting projects or passionate changemakers who’d like to share their work with our network. Get in touch to chat further.