News and Events

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. 

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The Silent Segregation: The Hierarchy Between Degrees and Noncredit Credentials We Don’t Talk About

No one explicitly told me I was less capable. No one told me my experiences or accomplishments were less valuable. Yet there was an unspoken message I absorbed over time: degrees represented success, while other educational pathways represented something less.

Why Finishing My Degree Became More Important After Having My Baby

Esha Singh shares her experience of pregnancy and postpartum while in her graduate program.

Promoting Success: A Conversation with Dr. Tina Cheuk on Student Parents at Cal Poly SLO

Dr. Tina Cheuk’s advocacy for student parents didn’t start with a strategic plan. It started with a lactation room that didn’t exist. Krystle Pale spoke with Dr. Cheuk when the California Alliance for Student Parent Success hosted the California Student Parent Summit 2025.

Promoting Success: Student Parents at UC Santa Cruz

In this SPARK blog post, we highlight an initiative to support student parents at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

In The News

Read the latest news and research centering student parents.

CalSTAR Fellow Letty Mejia Releases New Report on Rural Student Parents

Letty Mejia, MSW, has published new insights from qualitative research conducted as part of her CalSTAR Fellowship on the experiences of rural student parents in California.

Happy National Student Parent Month!

All September, we're sharing webinars, resources, and stories to support you and celebrate the work happening across this community. Follow along with us for an awesome month that will SPARK a multitude of celebrations and conversations.

SPARK Launches New Legislative Tracker and Policy Resources Page

SPARK’s new legislative tracker and policy resources give you the information you need to stay up to date on the latest efforts to create new laws that protect and advance student parents, from student parent data collection to pregnancy and parenting accommodations.

SPARK’s Publication Support Services Releases First Publication With Heather King

We are thrilled to announce the first release from our Publication Support Services: a policy brief by Dr. Heather King: "Will Higher Ed Meet The Needs of Parenting Students?"
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Events

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

[WEBINAR] Kentucky Landscape Analysis for Serving Parenting Students

Join Trellis Strategies and The Kentucky Success Collaborative for a discussion of the Kentucky landscape analysis, highlighting key findings on parenting students, the state’s higher education and workforce context, and opportunities to strengthen supports for parenting students across Kentucky.

Degrees of Value: A Multidimensional View of College ROI

This conversation will highlight new research from California Competes that explores the financial, personal, and social value Californians gain when they earn a credential.

From Guidance to Action: Implementing Your SB 0420 Parenting Student Support Plan

Maryland's SB 420/HB 006 requires every public institution of higher education in the state to develop and post a support plan for pregnant and parenting students. This live info session talks institutional teams through Wishful Doing's Implementation Guidelines & Sample Plan.

Trellis Solutions: From Policy to Practice: How Parenting College Students Experience New Supports in Texas

Join Trellis Strategies for a discussion of our new brief, From Policy to Practice: How Parenting College Students Experience New Supports in Texas.
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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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September 2026 SPARK Update

Closing Out National Student Parent Month with Lots of News and Big Energy

August 2026 SPARK Update

The New Family-Friendly College Toolkit Is Here! Plus, Get Ready for National Student Parent Month

July 2026 SPARK Update

New Policy Tools and a Bright Summer for Student Parents

June 2026 SPARK Update

Summer Starts, and Student Parents Keep Going
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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.
©2026 SPARK Collaborative, some rights reserved.