SPecially Adapted Resource Centers - SPARC

05/18/2026

What a creative and action-packed day at SPARC Alexandria!

Today our participants rolled up their sleeves, put on gloves and hard hats, and got to work building an incredible recycled cardboard speed boat! Andrew led the way by helping design the boat and map out the building steps. Of course, we chose a speed boat design… just in case anyone wants to race us someday!

Using recycled cardboard, spray paint, and stencils, everyone added their own unique touches and creativity to the project. The excitement and teamwork were amazing to see!

Later, we split into two groups — one group enjoyed an energetic game of ping pong while the other continued working on our glow-in-the-dark space mural. Ping pong turned out to be such a fun workout that we’ll definitely be adding it to our regular activities. And the mural? It looks absolutely A-MAZING! After nearly a month of hard work, we’re excited to reveal the finished project very soon.

After lunch, we wrapped up our boat and created fun decorative items for inside it — including a handmade wheelchair seat for our picnic display.

Before heading home, everyone talked through the details for our upcoming picnic this Wednesday. We can’t wait for another fun-filled day together!

05/18/2026

Today at SPARC ~ McLean we celebrated National Baking Day by whipping up some sweet baking-themed fun!

We spent the morning frosting cupcakes with ultra fluffy paint frosting, turning simple templates into colorful works of art. Amanda used her own artwork as inspiration when choosing the colors for her delicious-looking cupcake creation! This activity encouraged fine motor skills, color and pattern recognition, creativity, and artistic freedom as everyone followed the outline to design their own one-of-a-kind treat.

In the afternoon, we put the finishing touches on our mini cardboard boat. Teamwork truly made the dream work as we worked together to complete this exciting project in just under a week!

We wrapped up our day with Wordle, Connections, and UNO while also celebrating our very own Dominique as she graduated with her masters this past weekend. We have loved watching her accomplish this incredible journey and are so lucky to have her with us at SPARC ~ McLean!

05/17/2026

On Friday SPARC ~ McLean celebrated NASCAR Day with creativity, teamwork, and plenty of high-octane fun! Participants kicked off the morning with Wordle and Connections led by Roberto before turning up the energy with classic rock and roll hits that had everyone moving, grooving, and ready to roll into the day.

Inspired by license plates from all over, participants designed and customized their very own plates, showing off their personalities through bold colors, creative themes, and unique designs. The fun kept rolling as everyone put their engineering skills to the test by building cars out of popsicle sticks. And if any racer hit a bump in the road, no worries! Christiana’s tow service was on standby to save the day!

The afternoon shifted gears into fashion show preparation mode as participants worked hard putting the finishing touches on their final pieces and planning every detail right down to the carpet setup. To wind down from an exciting day, participants relaxed in the sensory room surrounded by calming music, soothing lights, and sensory experiences that helped everyone recharge and prepare for the weekend ahead.

What a wheel-y awesome way to end the week at SPARC!

Old Firehouse Center
McLean Community Foundation
McLean Project for the Arts
McLean Citizens Association

05/15/2026

There’s something truly special about the way music and art bring people together.

At SPARC ~ Leesburg, we are so excited to partner twice each month with our friends from ECHO and the incredible team from A Place To Be! Through this collaboration, participants experience the joy and connection of music therapy while also engaging in creative art therapy led by SPARC’s own art therapist, Nicky.

This week’s session was filled with movement, laughter, creativity, and meaningful connection. Inspired by A Place to Be, participants joined in song and dance routines that encouraged self-expression, confidence, and community. Sean and Maghfoor absolutely lit up the room with their enthusiasm and energy on the dance floor, bringing smiles to everyone around them!

After lunch, the group explored sensory activities focused on smell and participated in matching games that supported memory, problem-solving, and teamwork. What began as a spontaneous idea quickly became a favorite activity full of laughter and engagement.

These shared experiences are a beautiful reminder that inclusion, creativity, and connection help build a community where everyone belongs. We are grateful for our partnership with ECHO and A Place to Be and look forward to many more joyful days together!

05/15/2026

Today at SPARC ~ Alexandria, we kicked off the morning by adding new details to our giant glow‑in‑the‑dark solar system mural, which has become one of the most stunning art pieces in our center. We have such an amazing group of artists at our center. We have been hanging all of the art on our walls and the color choices and contrast is genuinely stunning. Our center has never looked more alive.

After art, we jumped into making fully loaded personal pizzas with fresh dough, pepperoni, peppers, mushrooms, and sausage, and they came out looking absolutely delicious.

We also kept building on our math lessons, which have been a big hit with the group. Using practical real‑world word problems and visual supports, everyone stayed engaged and confident as they practiced their skills.

05/14/2026

SPARC Reston’s Goals Day was a joyful celebration of growth, creativity, and connection!

Our group spent the day strengthening skills in multi-step directions, math learning, emotional regulation, and sensory exploration — all while having fun together.

One of the most meaningful moments of the day was introducing a new massage blanket for Taku. After several stressful days and poor sleep, the difference was incredible. He appeared calmer, more grounded, and far more comfortable — truly a night-and-day transformation. Moments like these remind us how powerful the right supports can be.

During sensory art, participants created textured foam paintings using shaving cream, glue, and paint. The process was soothing, engaging, and full of creativity, resulting in beautiful works of art everyone was proud of.

We also practiced cognitive and problem-solving skills by following Lego instruction books and working through multi-step building challenges. For math, we turned learning into a treat with our Sour Patch Kids counting game — assigning values to each candy, adding totals together, and then enjoying the sweet rewards afterward!

To end the afternoon, we played one of our Reston favorites: The Three Card Guessing Game. The room was filled with laughter, memory recall, teamwork, and connection — the perfect ending to a wonderful day.

At SPARC, every activity is an opportunity to build confidence, encourage independence, and create meaningful experiences for adults with severe and multiple disabilities.

05/14/2026

SPARC would like to extend our sincere thanks to Fairfax Connector for listening to the voices of people with disabilities and updating its seatbelt policy for wheelchair users.

This important change came after advocacy from SPARC participant Numan Aslam, who courageously shared how the mandatory additional seatbelt caused discomfort due to his baclofen pump and individual medical needs. Numan respectfully requested that wheelchair users be given the choice to decide whether an additional seatbelt is appropriate for them, especially when many power wheelchairs already include built-in safety restraints.

We are grateful to Fairfax Connector for recognizing the importance of dignity, comfort, and personal choice in accessible transportation. This policy change reflects what meaningful inclusion and responsive community partnership can look like.

Thank you, Numan, for your self-advocacy and leadership, and thank you to Fairfax Connector for hearing and responding to the disability community.


Fairfax County Government

05/13/2026

SPARC Community! Please nominate a mom who would enjoy this amazing opportunity for a closet makeover from my friend Benton Chrea!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D1ew532QX

🪧 Make Room for Mom!

Every Mom deserves a space that is truly hers.

This month 2 Day Closets and District Custom Woodworks are dedicating a $5,000 custom closet makeover to one deserving Mom right here in the DMV. Not a raffle. We want her story.

Tell us about her in the comments below. Who is she? What has she done? What does she mean to you? Why does she deserve this more than anyone you know?

The story that moves us most wins.

Follow 2 Day Closets on Facebook and Instagram and drop her nomination in the comments below.

Nominations close May 23. Winner announced May 31.

Open to DMV area residents only. No purchase necessary. No cash value. Non-transferable.

Less Stress. More Space.

05/13/2026

Today at SPARC ~ McLean, it was all about spring flowers and sunshine on this beautiful day! We kicked off the morning dancing and grooving to Michael Jackson’s Bad, bringing lots of energy, smiles, and fun moves to start the day.

After our dance party, everyone got creative decorating and designing our boat for the upcoming SPARC Picnic! There were so many fun ideas, bright colors, and teamwork as we worked together to make it look amazing.

After lunch, the fun kept going with games of Just Dance and some very competitive rounds of UNO! We also got crafty making colorful tissue paper flowers, which turned out beautiful and perfect for our spring theme. It was a day full of music, creativity, laughter, and great memories with friends!

05/13/2026

Today at SPARC ~ Alexandria was all about building skills, teamwork, and having fun together!

We kicked off the day with a skills and goals review, practicing math and reading while making a supply list for our center. Then we headed to Walmart, where participants turned shopping into a budgeting challenge by breaking into groups to see who could spend the least while still getting what we needed!

Back at the center, Andrew and the group worked hard on our indoor hydroponic garden. Our basil and cilantro are growing quickly, and today’s task focused on cutting and measuring the herbs. Some participants even got to take fresh herbs home!

After lunch, everyone came together for games of Mafia and Chatterbox, followed by worksheets focused on math problems, reading clocks, and adding fractions. It was wonderful to see everyone so engaged and excited to learn.

Another great day of learning, laughter, and growing together at SPARC!

05/13/2026

Today SPARC ~ Leesburg celebrated the magic of the Philippines with a day full of culture, folklore, and discovery. We learned some fun facts along the way—like how the Philippines is made up of over 7,000 islands, is home to three main island groups (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao), and has a rich blend of cultural influences from Indigenous traditions, Spain, and the United States. We also talked about how family and community are at the heart of Filipino culture, and how music, dance, and storytelling play a big role in everyday life.

For our activity, we created paper birds inspired by the легендарный Ibong Adarna—a magical bird from Filipino folklore often compared to the phoenix. According to the story, the Ibong Adarna’s beautiful songs can heal and its presence brings good luck to those who see it. Participants worked on their fine motor skills and creativity while folding and decorating their birds, making each one unique. It was a meaningful way to connect storytelling with hands-on learning, and a fun celebration of culture, imagination, and good fortune.