HOW TO BECOME A �SPARK PRESENTER
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Spark presenter!
This document provides additional information for tradespeople interested in becoming a presenter at SparkMV 2024
Please read through and let us know if you would like to become a presenter. We will work with you to design and build an experience that will showcase your trade or skill and fit into the overall program for the event.
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As a presenter, we will work with you to design a safe and interactive experience that will give visitors an opportunity to experience your trade or craft hands on. Presenters will follow these guidelines in designing their experience:
The experience design should include: �• Using tools �• Working with one’s hands �• Making or repairing something
The experience should focus on completing an entire task or project. Bonus points if there is something to take home at the end.
Presenters may bring business cards, but limit marketing materials and nothing is to be for sale at the event. Presenter’s focus should be on creating an experience and sharing your passion for your trade that will benefit the visitors.
What is a �Spark experience?
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What is �the time commitment?
ONBOARDING PROCESS
ATTEND A MANDATORY ONE-HOUR ZOOM CALL FOR AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS.
APRIL-JUNE
DESIGN & BUILD YOUR TRADE EXPERIENCE
WORK WITH THE PLANNING COMMITTEE TO DESIGN AN ACTIVITY THAT HIGHLIGHTS YOUR TRADE
JUNE-SEPT
SET UP TIME
PRESENTERS TO SET UP THEIR PRESENTATIONS BEGINNING AT 10AM.
SAT 26 OCTOBER
SPARK 2024
THE EVENT WILL BE HELD FROM 12PM TO 4PM, PRESENTERS MUST ARRIVE NO LATER THAN 10AM. BREAKDOWN STARTS DIRECTLY AFTERWARD.
SAT 26 OCTOBER
PRESENTERS & PARTNERS DINNER
JOIN THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AND THE PARTNERS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE EVENT FOR DINNER.
SAT 26 OCTOBER
How does designing a �Spark experience work?
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The goal of each experience �is to make it as hands-on and experiential as possible, designed to give participants the satisfaction of completing an entire activity on their own. Our goal is to provide you with a space to share your passion and expertise and for participants to walk away having learned something and feeling empowered. Ideally, you will have sparked interest in the mind and heart of a future craftsperson.
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We have designed experiences that we would like to offer to presenters. We can match you to one of these experiences or if you have something you would like to propose, we can try to make that happen. Either way, we will work with you to design and create the experience. We will also work with you to make sure you have the resources you need, including supplying materials, developing participation and safety criteria and having sufficient support on the day of the event.
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Experience examples
We would also be happy to work with you to develop your own idea, so please feel free to make suggestions.
Spark is an event that takes place every October in Kent, Connecticut. It will soon be put on all across the country through our affiliate program. This year, Martha’s Vineyard will hold their first annual Spark event hosted by the Martha’s Vineyard Builders Association and TradesUp on October 26.
Spark’s goal is to increase interest in working with your hands. The event will offer youth and adults alike the opportunity to safely participate in trades, crafts, and self-sufficiency skills with their own hands.
We will work presenters to design a safe and interactive experience that will give visitors an opportunity to experience the trade or craft hands on.
The goal of each experience is to make it as hands-on and experiential as possible, designed to give participants the satisfaction of completing an entire activity on their own. Our aim is to create a space for presenters to share their passion and expertise and for visitors to walk away having learned something and feeling empowered. Ideally, presenters will have sparked interest in the mind and heart of a future apprentice!
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What is Spark by TradesUp?
What is TradesUp?
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TradesUp is a registered non-profit organization that designed an affiliate program for communities across America to replicate our Spark event.
Our mission is to support the development of the next generation of trades and craftspeople.
It is our duty and privilege to reverse misperceptions of what a career in the trades can offer
by inviting a new, more diverse generation into our community through hands-on events, educational programs, and community engagement.
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How are we achieving our mission?
Creating safe and inclusive activities where people can try the trades, working alongside tradespeople who love to share their passion and expertise.
Convening and catalyzing an inclusive community of like-minded partners who care about the future of the trades.
Reshaping the narrative by positioning tradespeople as vital, specialized makers we rely on every day.
Communities across America have a problem.
As tradespeople are retiring and fewer youth are entering the trades, contractors and homeowners are facing a shortage of skills and experience. Now is the time for communities to mobilize to ensure the transfer of knowledge to the next generation.
Industrial arts programs in middle and high schools are rare these days. In years past young students were introduced to vocations where they could enter the workforce without a college degree. The option to explore a life in the trades is missing for many American youth.
According to a 2019 survey by the Associated General Contractors of America, 80 percent of construction firms reported having difficulty in filling craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce. Similarly, a survey by the National Association of Home Builders found 82 percent of respondents expected labor shortages to be their top issue in 2019. This lack of skilled workers is further magnified for the specialized traditional trades often needed for historic preservation projects.
– Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Policy Statement on Promotion and Value of Traditional Trades Training, Adopted October 19, 2020
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Background
Sponsors & Partners
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Employee Directed Giving