For libraries
Free STEAM classes, run inside your branch
sparkk runs free classes for all ages, taught by local high-school students, in public library programme rooms. Nothing is charged to the library and nothing is charged to families.
We work with branches in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. If your branch has already agreed to host and has not started yet, this page is for you too — the next step is a date on the calendar.
What we ask of you
- A room for about an hour, on a date that suits your calendar.
- A named staff contact at the branch.
- A listing in your programme calendar, if you run one.
That is all of it.
What we bring
- The volunteer teacher, and a second volunteer where the class needs one.
- The lesson itself, prepared in advance, along with any materials it needs.
- Enrolment handled through this site, so your desk does not take sign-ups.
- A roster sent to your staff contact before the class.
- No cost to the library and no cost to families, ever.
Safeguarding, in writing
- Classes run only inside public library branches, never in private or unsupervised spaces.
- Teachers sign a code of conduct before their first class.
- Pennsylvania clearances are required where applicable.
Anyone — staff, a parent or a student — can report a concern anonymously, without an account.
Report a concernHow a partnership works
These are the five stages we track for every branch, so you can see exactly what you would be agreeing to and when.
- ProspectWe have your branch on our list as a good fit and nothing has been asked of you yet.
- ContactedWe have written to a member of staff and introduced what a class would involve.
- MeetingA short conversation, in person or by call, to answer questions and look at dates.
- AgreedThe branch says yes and we write down the room, the day and who the staff contact is.
- ActiveA date is on the calendar, enrolment is open on this site, and classes are running.
What it looks like when it runs
At North Wales Area Library we ran seven consecutive Saturdays, 24 January to 7 March 2026, alternating a class for adults with a class for children.
A crochet workshop at the same branch on 4 August 2026 filled all 10 of its 10 seats.
Talk to us about a date
Tell us which branch you are with. If you have already agreed to host, tick the box and we will come back with dates rather than starting over.
sparkk is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation (Hack Club Bank). Donations are tax-deductible. EIN 81-2908499. See our full ledger.
Programming you don't have to staff.
sparkk brings the instructors, the curriculum and the materials to your branch. Classes are free for every family, and free for the library.
No cost to the branch
sparkk covers the instructors, the curriculum and the materials. There is no fee, no invoice and no cost-share, and nothing is charged to families either.
STEAM, arts and life skills
Classes run as short series — a handful of weekly sessions on one subject, written for a named age or grade band rather than for a drop-in crowd.
Taught by student volunteers
Instructors are student and community volunteers who propose the class they want to teach. Chapter leadership reviews every proposal before it is approved.
A room and a time slot.
That is the whole ask. Everything else arrives with the instructor.
A program room
Any meeting or program space that seats a small group. Classes are held inside the branch — never in a private home or an unsupervised space.
A recurring time slot
One slot a week for the length of the series. Weekday afternoons and Saturdays fit the age groups we serve best.
A line in your calendar
A listing in your program calendar or newsletter. Registration runs on sparkk, so your desk staff are not fielding sign-ups or waitlists.
What a series looks like
- Sessions in a series
- 1–5 sessions
- Length of one session
- 60 minutes
- Seats per class
- 10–20 students
- Cost to the library
- None
Measured across the 12 classes sparkk has listed at a venue.
What we do to keep children safe.
Each item below is a recorded step in how an instructor is onboarded and a class is approved — not a statement of intent.
Where local or state law requires background clearances for volunteers working with young people, sparkk follows those requirements. The safety page sets out what that means, and we will answer any question your branch policy raises before a first class is scheduled.
Branches that said yes to the same ask.
Every chapter below operates out of a public library.
Start with a conversation, not a contract.
Tell us the room you have and the slot you could give it. We will come back with a proposed series, the instructor's plan, and anything your branch needs on file first.
sparkk is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation (Hack Club Bank). Donations are tax-deductible. EIN 81-2908499.