2026 SPARK Student Application

Participants of the Summer Program for Academic Research and Cultural Knowledge (SPARK) will spend one summer studying at accredited 2-year and 4-year degree colleges and universities in the United States, gaining unique cultural and community engagement experiences, while also having the chance to explore a U.S. national park with their peers. 

SPARK students will travel to the United States on a J-1 visa and are subject to the two-year home residence requirement. After the completion of the summer semester in the U.S., SPARK students are required to immediately return to Russia. No grace period is applicable after the completion of the program.

SPARK finalists should have a valid international passport by January 31, 2026, to travel to the U.S. next summer. The international passport must be valid at least until February 28, 2027. 

SPARK is open to students in any field of study and does not discriminate based on race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or disability. SPARK supports participation of students with disabilities and will work with host institutions to provide an accessible living and learning environment. To request reasonable accommodation(s) to complete this application form, please contact the SPARK team at info@sparkinamerica.org.

While completing the application, please keep in mind:

• The application should be submitted in English; 
• For document uploads, please save them as PDF files;
• Be sure to hit "Save Draft" frequently, located at the end of the application, as the website does not autosave.

Please visit sparkinamerica.org for Frequently Asked Questions or contact us at info@sparkinamerica.org with any application concerns. We look forward to receiving your application!