John Rolfe Middle School band teacher Amaris Franklin and Start 1 Spark founder Amber Lancaster with students in Franklin’s band class, whose instruments were acquired with the help of the nonprofit (Photo by Jay Paul)
Extracurricular activities are becoming extra expensive. The cost of dance lessons, musical instruments for band and sporting equipment, plus registration fees and travel expenses, are forcing many kids to sit on the sidelines.
During the pandemic, local mom Amber Lancaster decided to do something about it. She founded Start 1 Spark, a local nonprofit to help economically disadvantaged kids participate in extracurricular activities.
“The pandemic was really eye-opening for me,” says Lancaster, president of Start 1 Spark. “In 2020, when all sports were canceled, it was really a gut punch — not being able to participate in activities was depressing. But then I realized that for some kids, this is the way it always is. They always miss out because they can’t afford to do it.”
Lancaster says that 45% of the students in Henrico County Public Schools qualify for the Virginia Department of Education’s free and reduced-price lunch program. In Chesterfield County Public Schools, 40% of students qualify. Between the two districts, roughly 47,000 students struggle to participate in academic, athletic or artistic extracurricular activities, including those provided through the school.
Last year, Lancaster launched the pilot program of Start 1 Spark at John Rolfe Middle School in Eastern Henrico County. Located about 3 miles southwest of Richmond International Airport, the school has no PTA, and 70% of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school’s minority student enrollment is 92%.
According to ESPN, fewer kids are participating in sports than a decade ago due to cost. Parents spend close to $700 per year on average for one child to play sports.
“We’re in a time in which we’re constantly talking about equality and equity, yet kids in public school are not on an even playing field,” Lancaster says. “We heard about one track student who was literally running out of his shoes. Even at the starting block, he was at a disadvantage. Instead of focusing on the race, he had to worry whether his shoes would hold up.”
Thanks to Start 1 Spark, that athlete has a new pair of running shoes and a confident stride. The organization has also provided students with shin and mouth guards, tennis racquets, baseball and softball gloves, soccer balls, and other equipment as well as free physical exams, which are mandatory to participate in school sports.
But sports aren’t the only activity with increasing costs. Participating in the arts is also becoming more expensive. For instance, to play in the middle school band, it costs more than $200 to rent a trombone for nine months and more than $500 to rent a French horn.
When Amaris Franklin started as the band teacher at John Rolfe Middle School, many of the school-owned instruments were broken or damaged, and there weren’t enough for all 85 students in the band. She’s been working with Start 1 Spark to cover the instrument rental fees for her students.
“Seeing these kids learning to play on quality and professional instruments has been amazing,” she says.
When Franklin was growing up, she says being in band was a life-changing experience that she wants her students to share. “The band took me to so many places I never would have been otherwise,” she says. “I got to travel around the country and went to college on a band scholarship.”
One of Franklin’s students learned to play the baritone last year. The seventh grader has already earned first chair and plans to play in high school.
“Playing a musical instrument helps build confidence and reduce anxiety, as well as develops fine motor skills and critical thinking,” Franklin says. “It teaches kids responsibility, discipline and hard work and pushes them out of their comfort zones to perform for each other and in public places. They get the gratification of being seen and heard.”
In addition, students consistently involved in extracurriculars are four times more likely to go to college and are less likely to stay out of trouble, according to EdSurge, a newsroom for educational resources. Yet children from low-income families are three times less likely to participate in after-school programs.
“There’s a big cost to students of not being involved,” Lancaster says.
Start 1 Spark focuses on middle school students because they’re at a critical age for developing skills and discovering their passions.
“Middle school can also be a harsh reality,” Lancaster says. “In elementary school, kids are naive and don’t necessarily see the [economic] gap, but by middle school, they start to feel lesser. They see their best friend going off to play softball and realize they can’t. And it’s not even something they can control. At 12 years old, the door is constantly being slammed in their face.”
Lancaster has recently expanded Start 1 Spark to Falling Creek Middle School in Chesterfield County and hopes to support more schools as funding grows. She notes that an organization called NextUp gives students at Richmond Public Schools access to extracurricular activities, so Start 1 Spark plans to support students in Henrico and Chesterfield county middle schools for now.
“We just want to give these kids an equal opportunity,” she says. “We want them to know they have a chance, they are important, and they matter. This is what we’re all about.”
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