Introducing Total Spark

Events will occur in Chicago, Detroit and Dallas at select Total Wireless stores in late 2025. Click here to see if one of our events is happening at a store near you. 

No, everyone is welcome to attend the events that will take place at our Total Wireless stores in Chicago, Detroit and Dallas. We strongly encourage working students that are looking for resources to support their career journey and academic pursuits to attend.

Recipients of our 2025 grants have been selected, and this year’s application cycle is now closed. If you are a nonprofit or individual in Chicago, Detroit or Dallas, we encourage you to attend our in-store events later this year. Check back on this site for event details to come.

In our first year of Total Spark, Total Wireless has provided five grants to organizations meeting various needs of working students. Those grantees are:

• The Jane Adams Resource Corporate (JARC): JARC provides free training for adults to start careers in manufacturing.
• LIFT-Chicago: LIFT-Chicago breaks the cycle of poverty by investing in parents.
• Wilkinson Center: The Wilkinson Center helps students build bridges to success through education and job training.
• NPower-Detroit: NPower creates pathways to economic prosperity through transformative IT training. 
• TechTown Detroit: TechTown Detroit supports entrepreneurs with resources, mentorship and strategy.

Total Wireless partnered with Empower Work to identify our Total Spark grant recipients. Empower Work spread word about the opportunity by hosting webinars and collecting interest forms from organizations in Dallas, Detroit and Chicago. Applications from interested organizations were then evaluated based on their ability to provide resources and programming that support working students. Then, interviews were conducted with finalist organizations before Empower Work and Total Wireless determined the final grant recipients.

Recipients of our 2025 grants have been selected, and this year’s application cycle is now closed. Check back at this site for details on future programming and opportunities.

Working students encompass a broad range of individuals including but not limited to: high school students with jobs, parents working part time, college students taking jobs while in school, individuals working full time and taking classes on the side, first-generation college students, and others. Our goal is to support any individual who is balancing work and education to elevate the burden of managing the unique challenges they face.

Empower work is a national nonprofit on a mission to change the way people are supported at work. They provide free, confidential support for tough work situations via SMS or web chat. Learn more here.

Yes, information on how to sign up to attend and stay up to date on Total Spark events will be available at this website later this year.