Lighting the Way: How “Sparks” and Social Capital Drive Youth Development
Van Steenis, E., Boat, A., & Scales, P. C. (2025). Fostering youth sparks and social capital for greater equity in positive youth outcomes. In M. J. Nakkula & J. A. Pineda (Eds.), Transformative mentoring: A developmental approach to promoting equity and thriving (pp. 167–183). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-85111-7_10
Chapter 10 of Fostering Youth Sparks and Social Capital for Greater Equity in Positive Youth Outcomes explores how “sparks”—youth passions or deep interests—combined with strong social capital can drive equitable thriving. Drawing on the Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework, Van Steenis and colleagues (2025) argue that sparks inspire motivation and resilience, while social capital provides access to opportunities, especially for youth facing systemic barriers.
The chapter draws on research from the Search Institute, integrating survey data with youth interviews. Surveys measure spark identification, spark support, and thriving indicators, while interviews explore personal experiences, key supporters, and access to opportunities.
Youth with identified and supported sparks report higher motivation, persistence, and leadership. Disparities appear, with youth from low-income or marginalized backgrounds less likely to report sparks or support. Non-parental adults, mentors, and peers often provide this support, and bridging social capital (connections beyond immediate circles) links strongly to expanded opportunities.
Sparks are vital motivators, but without social capital, opportunities remain limited. The authors highlight that promoting equity requires deliberately connecting youth to resource-rich networks. Addressing structural barriers is essential for ensuring all youth can grow and sustain their sparks.
Mentoring programs should integrate spark discovery into early relationship-building, train mentors to connect youth with networks, and track equity in spark support. By pairing spark cultivation with intentional social capital building, programs can advance both individual thriving and equity.
