Everyone is born with something to contribute. They only need the chance.

Career education is key to unlocking human potential. Yet, millions around the world are stuck because they don’t know how to move forward.  50% of students list “planning for a career after graduation” as one of their top three sources of stress.* Together, we are working to change that.

*Brainstorm Strategy Group, 2019.

 “SparkPath’s mission is to provide meaningful career education so that every student creates a life of purpose and impact. It’s a big mission that demands sustained commitment, and 2019 was a year of important milestones. We hope that as you read through this annual letter you feel good about the impact you’re having. It’s an impact you can see through the thousands of new users and hear in the individual stories of young people who have changed their lives using the Challenge mindset. Each of these changes is only possible because of the important work you do. You are helping to build a movement that serves thousands today and, hopefully, millions in the future. Thank you! Let’s look at what we accomplished in 2019 and get fired up about what more we can do.” 

JP Michel
Founder

 Looking Back: 2019 in Review

+1,000

Users of the digital Challenge Cards

We created the digital Challenge Cards to help schools scale their career education. The first school to sign-on was the University of South Florida, who organized an innovative Major Expo that featured the Challenge mindset. The University of Western Ontario followed with a creative take on the employer fair.  Thank you to all the early adopters! You can email me if you would like to purchase the digital cards license for your school or school board. 

+8,551

Challenge Cards distributed

SparkPath in the Community

  Looking Forward: What’s Next in 2020

Our goal is for the Challenge mindset to be taught in every school. To do that, we want to connect with leaders in school districts and school boards who believe in the value of career exploration. Do you know anyone we should connect with? If so, please let us know. 

To reach our goal, we will be expanding the SparkPath team, connecting with the EdTech community, building more training and educational resources, and speaking at TEDxKanata (March 5th). We will also be sending you a survey to find out how we can better support you in your work. 

Thank you to the Challenge mindset champions

You have been a vital part of transforming career education. There are thousands of teachers, guidance counsellors, school board leaders, academic advisors, career coaches (and more!) who have dedicated their time and talent to making the Challenge mindset come alive for their students. Thank you!

 ***

Why an Annual Letter?

Most public companies issue an annual letter to shareholders. At their best, these letters represent an opportunity for the people entrusted to run the company to communicate with the people who own the company, the shareholders.

Stewards of companies have a legal duty to do what is in the best interest of shareholders. I feel a similar obligation to you. You trust me with something incredibly important: helping your students and kids create extraordinary lives.

I hope this letter is useful in understanding SparkPath's progress to date, as well as our path forward. 

Thank you to Farnam Street and Khan Academy for the inspiration to write this post.