Building confidence and opportunities through international travel!
Travel Sparq’s Mission:
Travel Sparq gives underserved high schoolers in Central Iowa learning opportunities through travel!
About Us
Travel Sparq Inc. is a nonprofit creating opportunities for eligible Iowa students through international travel! We have experienced the transformative power of travel, so we want to share that 💥 magic 💥 with others! This program is unique to our neck-of-the-woods. Our first voyage, the Pacuare Sea Turtle Program, will take off in July 2024! So keep reading and explore the website for more information!
About the trip: accepted students will engage in 5 pre-trip classes to learn about the upcoming trip and get to know each other and their trip team. Then it's wheels up; we will spend two weeks in July in Costa Rica. Learning a different language, navigating a new culture, and realizing they are capable- we expect students to return with increased confidence and excitement about all the future holds!
They will spend the first week volunteering at a sea turtle conservancy in Pacuare, Costa Rica (run by L.A.S.T.). In the second week, they will explore one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world and experience cultural excursions. The staff on the trip will be the trip leader (travel veteran) and either an educator or a therapist depending on availability. We will require daily guided reflections to help make sense of what's happening on the trip and how to absorb it. Then, when we return, we will have several post-trip classes to help them understand what they experienced and how that can translate to real-world skills.
One last thing to mention, these opportunities are funded solely by individual donations, fundraisers, and some super generous recurring donors. So if reading this makes you feel excited, intrigued, or even a little tickle of wanderlust, you can help us! Donate!
🌎 Wheels up, peace out, and THANK YOU! -Jen Gapp (founder) ✈️
Updates and Events
2023 Annual Report! Click the button to get a synopsis of the 2023 Fiscal Year and what goals we are pursuing in 2024 and beyond!
You paid for Pain, well here it is!! This finale video shows our volunteer athletes putting their skills to the test with some support from Coach Sasquatch! Our Pain and Gain Fundraiser helped raise money for the students to spend an entire week volunteering at the sea turtle conservation!
We want to give the most enormous thank you to Iridium Crossfit Gym for hosting us! Our volunteers deserve high-fives, thanks, and ICYHOT for their philanthropic labor!