About

 What exactly is Spark Learning? 

Spark Learning, LLC offers STEAM-based enrichment programming for children of all ages. The aim of these programs is to spark curiosity, creativity, wonder, passion, joy, confidence, original thinking, interest, and so much more. 

Programs cover a wide variety of science and art lessons, utilizing hands on activities, experiments, exploration, invention, art projects, movement, games, play, and more to inspire and motivate our young learners.

Spark is all about getting children curious and trusting/valuing their own ideas. Thinking like an artist and a scientist helps the students succeed in their little lives, extending way beyond just their academics.  

Who is behind Spark Learning?

My name is Darina DeBenedictis and I am the owner of Spark Learning. I have many years of experience creating and teaching my own unique curriculum to children of all ages. My STEAM-based programs focus on the concept of wonder and the importance of being inquisitive. Being curious is the foundation to learning, and all of my lessons aim to spark that curiosity. I strongly believe that when children understand that their questions and ideas have significance, they will become much more confident as a learner and as a creative.

You can find my programming in various schools around the greater Charleston area. I teach in preschools, elementary after-school programs, and through Engaging Creative Minds (ECM), which is a standards-based education opportunity for elementary school children.  

To touch on my work experience outside of teaching, I have worked at multiple aquariums, worked as a marine geologist aboard research vessels with a NOAA contracting company, worked as a map creator on The US Army Corps of Engineers’ navigation team, and worked on various marine biological research projects.

I am also an artist, ultra-hobbyist, and I worked for a while as a preschool art teacher with Wee Little Arts. I own a clay jewelry small business, Adorned Jewelry, where I sell my clay jewelry and host workshops for adults and children of all ages. Personally, I dabble in plenty of other art forms, such as weaving, painting, drawing, photography, and more! I love any excuse to learn something new, especially if it involves crafting. 

My experiences as a scientist, an artist, and a teacher have made me equipped to be a very inquisitive, passionate, and adaptable educator. I love sharing my passions and experiences with the children that I get to teach. I absolutely love getting to see the little sparks that go off in children’s minds when they are able to follow their curiosity through their own exploration in either a science experiment or an art project.