Virginia

Which leads us to SPARC participant Taku and his mom Anu.

Taku is non speaking, so Anu helped share his story. She says he loves the flexibility of the program, which allows him to adhere more to his schedule. He is also fond of all the people he has met at SPARC. Anu says his face lights up every time they head to SPARC because he knows he’s going to a place where he is included, accepted, and has many friends.

Anu emphasized how SPARC is different from other therapeutic day programs because they allow Taku to have a personal support attendant with him at all times. “The high attendant-to-attendee ratio at other facilities concerned [my husband and me], as it posed a risk to Taku's safety and meant he wouldn't receive the attention he needed.”

Running an organization like SPARC requires a lot of money and an exceptional staff. Google sponsored a Gratitude Gala for SPARC in 2023 to help raise funds to hire a full-time program director and to keep costs low for participants. Debi Alexander, SPARC’s executive director, is grateful to organizations like Google for their support. “There are few people who want to underwrite and support adults with severe disabilities — and these people deserve funding.”

Every day Taku receives love and acceptance from his family and from his friends and program staff at SPARC. And that makes him a pretty happy guy.

Maybe that happens in a classroom with a teacher who loves to teach orchestra. Or when taking a nature walk and seeing a strange creature scampering across a mountain pass. Or sometimes it happens in a museum.

The future Northern Virginia Science Center will be an interactive museum for families, students, and learners of all ages. This world-class facility is being built in the Dulles Technology Corridor and will bring exhibits that spark the community’s curiosity. And while they wait for it to open, the organization continues to bring hands-on, experiential learning to students at an interim home, the Children’s Science Center Lab, and through mobile programs.

Nene Spivy is the CEO of the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation. With a degree in industrial and systems engineering, she worked several years in the telecoms industry, but wanted to work more closely with the community, which led her to her current role.

She has loved seeing the community come together to create an interactive science center for kids. “We have the Smithsonian museums and other resources nearby in Washington, DC, but many of our kids in Northern Virginia have a number of economic obstacles. They qualify for free or reduced lunch. Their parents have many challenges.” One of the center’s goals is to ensure all children feel they can benefit from their exhibits and programs.

Google has been one of the investors in the center, seeing the value of building the new facility while also ensuring it has the resources to run in its current home until the new one opens.

While the community awaits the center’s completion, the staff keep working at making science fun. They still revel in the wonder and awe of a child contemplating the vastness of the solar system or the minuteness of a cell in the human body. It’s a beautiful journey each child in Northern Virginia will soon have the opportunity to take.

Aurora always knew she wanted to work in the trades and began in welding. However, it became a challenge physically and financially to continue that work. She moved into logistical roles, yet a career in the trades still called to Aurora.

That’s when she heard about Google’s Skilled Trades and Readiness (STAR) Program in Construction at Northern Virginia Community College. She completed the program in 2024, which has led to more project management opportunities at her job and a desire to go back to school and earn a four-year degree. Aurora’s mom is surely beaming with pride. “I remember the tough times, that no matter what, my mom made sure I pushed through.”