“It only takes one person to ignite somebody’s imagination,” said Amber Lancaster, founder of Start 1 Spark .

That’s why the mother of two chose the name of her nonprofit organization, which serves local students by providing additional support and resources for their extracurriculars.

“You don’t know what’s going to inspire a student,” Lancaster said. “It can just be one item, one opportunity, that can really transform a student’s life.”

Lancaster founded Start 1 Spark during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. As a mother, she had noticed how many students had lost access to activities with school closures.

“Seeing diminished opportunities for them to just be a kid and have those opportunities in sports, clubs, and arts,” Lancaster said. “It was sad.”

Start 1 Spark starts back up for i

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