Imagine having a team of people helping you achieve goals and make your dreams come true — a free mentor to help you through high school and even to make some money along the way.
That’s the idea behind the D.C. nonprofit Spark the Journey, one of more than a dozen local groups receiving donations from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who gave away a $640 million to hundreds of nonprofits Tuesday.
Spark the Journey is receiving a $2 million grant. Spark the Journey CEO Khari Brown said they plan to use the money on expanding its services and continue helping students of color.
“They need people, often people who look like them, who have gone through some of their own experiences, to be able to help show them the ropes,” Brown said.
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Spark the Journey provides free mentorship for D.C. students, particularly those in wards 5, 7 and 8. The group serves about 500 students. Each is paired with a mentor and gets free tutoring, SAT classes and college advising.
If the students attend enough activities, they get a $120 gift card each semester.
Mentee Janiya Watson says her mentor is always there when she needs her.
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“That’s the main thing as a mentor. You’re not just there for education and for the workload, you’re there to make your mentee feel comfortable and feel human,” Watson said.
Spark the Journey has been around for over 30 years. They often hold interest meetings to recruit students, like sophomore Josiah Chapman, who plans to sign up.
“I feel like I’m going to struggle in some classes in my 11th-grade year. So, I feel like a mentorship would help me with my homework,” Chapman said.
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