The Student Parent Association for Recruitment and Retention (SPARR)*
The Student Parent Association for Recruitment and Retention (SPARR) is an organization of UC Berkeley student parents, supported by staff and faculty, who are dedicated to providing access to higher education for underserved, nontraditional and underrepresented students. The purpose of the SPARR is:
- to provide a forum for student parents to discuss issues they are currently experiencing,
- to build a supportive, inclusive student parent community and
- to create an organizational vehicle for collective action.
SPARR members are dedicated to providing outreach services aimed at increasing the numbers of student parents from community colleges and high schools that apply to and attend UC Berkeley. By providing a positive and supportive outlook and campus environment for both prospective and current UC Berkeley students, we contribute to the academic success of student families at Cal.
SPARR along with other Student Organizations work hard to provide any assistance needed for student families. One of our closest allies in the academic fight is the Transfer, Re-Entry, and Student Parent Center. Visit the Student Parent Center at 100 Cesar Chavez Center on Campus where you can network with other student families and the Student Parent Center staff!
At every level of educational achievement, from high school through PhD programs, becoming a parent can pre-empt or preclude educational opportunities. Sustained efforts over the past 20 years have resulted in the development of Berkeley's model student parent support services program, which is unique in the UC system.
*SPARR is currently "inactive" and is in need of a new student cohort to reinitiate the group as operational on campus. Please contact tlenear@berkeley.edu