SeedBlink Blog

To shed light on this groundbreaking approach, we had the privilege of interviewing Ruxandra Mercea, the founder of Spark School. As a certified trainer and one of the top 30 School Leaders in the world, Ruxandra's vision and leadership have been integral to the success of Spark School. In this interview, she shares insights on Spark's mission, methodology, and future plans.

Can you tell us a bit more about Spark's "Fit for Future Education" hybrid model and how it differs from traditional teaching methods?

Teenagers live in a flexible world, yet they have few flexible education alternatives. Ever since the beginning of the history of education, education systems have aimed to deliver “one size fits all” curricula and provide a standardized educational experience for all students. At Spark, we have envisioned a flipped learning model where all courses are available for teenagers so they can study when they want, what they want, and where they want. It’s not students that come to school. The school follows them instead so that they can be able to live at their full potential as professional athletes and finish an internationally recognized high school, be passionate about different topics, invest time in them whilst studying, or choose a different lifestyle altogether.

All the high school subjects that we offer are pre-created and built around how a teenager's brain learns. The content of the academic courses is digital, and they are guided in their high school journey through offline activities and offline learning (through work experience, volunteering, or participating in school hubs built with partners all around the world). Our students can learn at their own pace and choose subjects with no set schedule or Zoom-style classes. Our educational model is based on a four-strand approach that assigns equal value to each strand rather than emphasizing one over the others: Academics, Well-being, Global Education, and Leadership.

What inspired you to launch Spark, and what problem are you trying to solve in the education sector?

The frustration that I went through during my high school years helped me find the driving force in my career: the dream of equitable education for each child. I followed a path less walked and decided to create a program where I first had to reimagine my high school experience and create a more future-ready learning environment for children nowadays. Spark was inspired by a need in the sector to address the changing education landscape. Young people need so much more than the traditional high school models that have dominated our practice since the 1870s. Students require a model that provides flexibility and support above all else.

Spark is the solution for these major challenges in education worldwide: the scarcity of quality teachers, dependence on the physical location, the one-size-fit approach, and outdated learning. Along with the pandemic, I realized the crucial need for flexibility for teenagers. With the quarantine, the world faced a new reality: students lack the freedom to develop on their terms, wherever they are. It is as a consequence of this necessity that Spark was founded and has grown. The idea was developed due to that market need. Moreover, schools across the UK and around the world are struggling to adapt to the needs of young people, who require so much more than the knowledge needed to pass examinations.

How have students responded to Spark's model, and what kind of outcomes have you seen so far?

We currently have over 80 teenagers from 11 countries that have enrolled both in full-time and part-time programs at Spark School. Our students have been able to pursue their passions while studying, whether it means playing professional sports, building robots, or developing their own businesses. Some Spark students have already founded businesses in interior design and marketing and we are willing to support each one of them in whatever endeavors they may pursue.

How do you ensure students receive the necessary support and guidance to build their personalized learning paths?

Students are guided by learning journey advisors, which they meet either in 1:1 sessions or in small groups. These meetings aim to guide students through their personal and professional development. Students also have access to well-being check-ins, clubs, societies, university counseling, and career advice. They can pick and choose how much they get out of the Spark experience — and we are by their side at all times, supporting them with any choice that they make.

Can you walk us through a typical day or week at Spark for a student?

There is no typical day or week at Spark, as we are not a Zoom-type school that moves its schedule in a Monday to Friday manner timetable, but online. Students have the chance to set their own schedules and study at their own pace and time. Once they complete the work assigned to them, they schedule a 1:1 session or a small group meeting with the subject tutor for in-depth learning and a very personalized Q&A session. Students can start at any time to join Spark, and we don't have a regular school year calendar.

What technology and tools does Spark use to facilitate online learning and collaboration?

Because we wanted to take the first move in hybrid education, we used a selection of tools that have not worked together before, both to try and also to understand what are the needs required by hybrid education. This has led us to build our own platform, which will be ready in August 2023, with the help of our technological partnership, Qubiz.

How do you ensure that offline activities are meaningful and relevant to each student's individual goals and interests?

Teenagers get to choose the manner in which offline activities happen in our school because the learning is theirs and they are the leader of their learning. In order to make it meaningful, we guide them to understand the why behind their choice and to build a personal mission statement to take this with them both in their today life and life beyond school.

What are your plans for scaling Spark and expanding its reach beyond Romania?

Spark is already present in 11 countries, and we plan on expanding with the new round to over 300 students. We will expand our B2B2C network through student recruitment partners. As for product development, we will launch a marketplace for schools.

How do you see the education landscape evolving in the coming years, and how will Spark continue to innovate and adapt?

I see the need for a lot more collaboration and sharing of resources, whether we talk about state schools or public schools from around the world. The pandemic has taught us that we are stronger together, and I believe it will be for the benefit of all the teenagers in as many schools as possible when we see that we are not in competition, because we can build a stronger and better community to benefit them if we just come together.

Finally, can you share any success stories or memorable moments from Spark's journey so far?

I remember when I asked myself: what problems will Spark solve? Is there really a problem that we can solve through a hybrid high school?

And I remember how I gathered my team around and we talked, shared stories, shared thoughts, trying to find the challenges that traditional education faces nowadays. One story comes with me everywhere I go:

Harrison had always been smart. He was always a few years ahead in school and obsessed over maths and physics. In class he’d put his hand up fizzing with ideas and questions but he was always shut down by the teacher – “shut up,” “stop jumping ahead, ” “just keep it to yourself.” So, one day he did. He stopped asking questions. He refused to go to parties like the rest of the kids. He pushed all his friends away. He kept himself to himself. And stopped going to school altogether. Eventually he stopped talking to his own family. Shutting everyone out.

Harrison doesn’t fit the system. The system doesn’t fit Harrison. Who will answer his questions?

That was when we realized the world needs a school for all those who do not fit the system. We had to answer all those questions that remained unanswered. That was when we started looking for answers.

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Spark is raising €700,000 through SeedBlink to scale its hybrid international high school. Explore the round materials here.