Low pay, management not receptive to feedback - STEM Educator Spark-Y Employee Review

2.0
20 Dec 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You will have cool coworkers, flexible work place. The building where the company is located is very cool

Cons

Management pays its high school youth $15 / hr (knowing anything less looks bad), yet the starting wage for their staff is around $17.50 ($36k) with the expectation of a 4 year degree and 2 years of experience. Does not have employer offered health care - intentionally attracts those under 26 to not have this company expense. Management / CEO are conflict adverse, will ignore feedback they don't agree with. Have continued in a school partnership that all involved staff oppose (for workplace concerns) by placing new hires at that location. At times, unclear about their mission and out of touch with the scope of it - currently shifting away from environmental sustainability initiatives and more towards STEM school partnerships. Supervisor accessibility and support is little to none, given overworked busy schedules. Entire lack of HR is a huge problem. Management still view themself as a start up, despite being over a decade old - unwilling to invest money into their workplace furniture, hoards old project materials that will never have another purpose. Expect over 50% employee turnover within a year.

Explore other reviews about Spark-Y

3.0
20 Oct 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Friendly and supportive staff, fun workspace.

Cons

Pay could be a bit better, often projects are fairly disorganized.

1.0
2 Jun 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

highly competent coworkers on the education team

Cons

You will likely end up doing a job you aren't trained to do under the guise of "entrepreneurship" and learning by throwing oneself to the sharks and seeing if you can "sink or swim." -Some projects were very interesting while others were downright dangerous and highly lacked cultural awareness, sensitivity, and competence. - Hires mostly white, college education young adults even though they seek to work in underserved communities & not once while I worked there did we ever talk about DEI or the problematic aspects of white saviorism in non profits. - If you turn down additional work that is on top of already taxing work, you will likely be gaslit, targeted, refused raises and advancements, and treated as if you are a problem. - highly toxic, it will likely take time to recover your mental health and nervous system due to all the confusion and gaslighting from working here.

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