Case Studies
Nonprofit of the Year
Inner Spark was honored as Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor. This post shares a glimpse of that day celebrating the recognition while also capturing the lighter, everyday moments that come with leading this work.
Read now →
“We Should Be Coming Out of These Grants With More Questions Than Answers” – Cosmic
In this spotlight interview, our Founder, jacob adams discusses how Inner Spark resists the pressure to dilute its values for funding and treats education as an experiment rather than a fixed system. The piece reveals how we embrace failure, transparency, and continuous questioning as essential tools for deeper impact.
Beyond Compliance: How jacob adams’ Inner Spark Learning Lab Cultivates Critical Thinkers
What if education wasn’t about compliance but about discovery? jacob adams, founder of Inner Spark Learning Lab, believes students should have the power to question, explore, and create—not just memorize and obey. In this episode of Pitch Playground, jacob shares his journey from being labelled a “troublemaker” in school to reimagining learning environments that prioritize student agency and self-actualization.
A lot of people ask me: why don’t you just start a school?
In this reflective newsletter, jacob explains why starting a school wasn’t the answer—and how our work at Inner Spark focuses instead on transforming existing systems from within to center voice, belonging, and innovation.
Read now →
What does student-led learning actually mean?
These students shattered our expectations: this piece captures how giving them agency and structure to lead their own learning led to outcomes and insights that challenge conventional schooling assumptions.
Read now →