Sparking the Interest of Future Designers

Ballinger is a long-time supporter of Spark Philadelphia, a local educational program that provides career exploration and self-discovery opportunities for middle school students. Recently, we welcomed public school students from Southwest Philadelphia’s Tilden Middle School for a studio tour and workshop on self-management and stress.  

Our employee volunteers enjoyed showing the students around our workspaces and were impressed with the group’s maturity, “I remember 7th grade being a tough year, but I couldn’t believe how well-behaved, thoughtful, and genuinely interested our group was,” said design engineer Joey Becker. 

Spark Philadelphia, part of the Philadelphia Education Fund’s Middle Grades Initiative, facilitates hands-on workshops, in-school presentations, and job site visits, providing students in seventh and eighth grades career-connected learning experiences. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Spark Philadelphia to educate and inspire the next generation of designers.