News and Events

SPARK Officially Opens

SPARK offers tools, resources, and spaces for individuals and organizations nationwide to build evidence and take action to support parenting students. In September 2024, we hosted a virtual opening event unveiling SPARK’s website’s core features, including a comprehensive resource library and regional/topical constellation groups. Read the press release and watch our recording here

Student Parent Perspectives Blog

Aligning with SPARK’s mission of fostering collaboration, sharing knowledge, and amplifying student parents’ and caregivers’ voices, we’re dedicated to illuminating promising practices and building bridges between institutions supporting student parents while recognizing the challenges that persist. This space is specifically for current and recent student parents to share their hearts, wisdom, experiences, and the resources that support them and their families' personal and academic journeys. 

Check out our blog!

Student Parents in Conversation: Raheem Jackson

There are nearly 150,000 Black undergraduate student fathers across the country. Raheem Jackson’s story, while uniquely his own, also reflects the everyday experiences of Black student fathers. I invite you to read some highlights of our conversation.

Promoting Success: Student Parents At Mānoa (SPAM)

In this inaugural SPARK blog post, we highlight an initiative to support student parents at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Profiling a program does not imply endorsement by the SPARK Collaborative.

In The News

Read the latest news and research centering student parents.

Ross, Bacon, McBath Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Parenting Students Pursuing College Degrees

Representatives Deborah Ross (NC-02), Don Bacon (NE-02), and Lucy McBath (GA-06) introduced their Understanding Student Parent Outcomes Act.

SPARK Launches Its Inaugural Blog

If you're a student parent, this blog is for you! In this space, you'll hear from current and recent student parents sharing their hearts, wisdom, experiences, and resources they've found to support their journey.

New Resource to Support Family Voice: Ascend's Parent Advisor Microsite

Ascend at the Aspen Institute launches it's new Parent Advisor Program Microsite, a resource co-created with 11 student parents to support organizations hoping to better center parent voice.

10 Community Colleges Join Mental Health Collaborative Designed To Support Student Parents in Higher Education

The Jed Foundation (JED) recently announced a mental health collaborative designed to enable community colleges to better support students who are parents. The JED Campus Collaborative for Student Parents builds on Improving Mental Health of Student Parents: A Framework For Higher Education, a set of recommendations developed by JED and Ascend at the Aspen Institute
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Events

See what’s coming up in the student-parent space!

2025 Higher Education Policy Conference

2023 FamilyU Cohort Celebration with Generation Hope

join Generation Hope for the 2023 FamilyU Cohort Celebration — a special event honoring two years of growth, perseverance, and advocacy by amazing parenting students.

Student Parent Support Symposium Community Chat

ACCESS will host a Community Chat on June 11, 2025 to talk about how to bring the Student Parent Support Symposium back in 2026. Please register to join for this important conversation!

New America National Student Parent Call

Join New America on the last Thursday of each month at 2-3 pm ET for a national call regarding parenting students.
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Newsletters

Every month, we share events, insights, and resources from the field, student parents in the media, SPARK Collaborative updates, and celebrations in our newsletter. Check out previous newsletters by clicking the links below. Sign up to stay in the know!

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July 2025 SPARK Update

Student Parents Exist and Persist in the Summer

June 2025 SPARK Update

Honoring Our Student Fathers

May 2025 SPARK Update

Building Momentum into Summer

April 2025 SPARK Update

A Busy Spring for Student Parents
Newsletters

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SPARK is a values-driven, action-oriented, big-tent collaboration. We offer tools and joint spaces for those committed to supporting parents as they pursue their education goals.
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SPARK is a values-driven, action-oriented, big-tent collaboration. We offer tools and joint spaces for those committed to supporting parents as they pursue their education goals.
©2024 SPARK Collaborative, some rights reserved.