I developed and co-produce Sparked for West Virginia University because I wanted people outside of Appalachia to hear the people who are making very real changes for the better. It's about finding the truth beyond stereotypes and the small surprises that add up. Our cast of characters include a math coach who led a group of eighth graders to have some of the best math scores in the nation, a photographer who chose not to portray Appalachia in black and white, and some girls who can in fact code. You can listen to these stories below or visit the Sparked website.
"Our eighth-grade scores were right on par with some of the best schools in Massachussetts. That’s not a joke."
—Joanna Burt-Kinderman, math coach, Pocahontas County, W.Va.
“This is actual research. Like people have done this, but this is a little bit different. This is our information that we collected as a team.”
— Colby Winters, student astronomer
“I think that it’s sad that people want to put metal in the waters. It makes me want to like get people to stop doing it.”
— Emma Berger, elementary school student