Walmart SparkGood Grant to support West Philadelphia Makerspaces

The Challenge

Purple Eagle has successfully piloted makerspace and student-run entrepreneurship programs at Obama Academy in Pittsburgh. The next frontier was to bring these opportunities to underserved schools in West Philadelphia, where students lacked access to equipment, supplies, and training to explore STEAM skills and entrepreneurship.

Launching new programs require essential technology, tools, and materials, but schools there need guidance on how to launch them. Purple Eagle needed to begin a partnership to bridge this gap and demonstrate community impact in a new region.

The Program

Purple Eagle is a student-founded 501(c)(3) nonprofit that equips middle and high school students with hands-on skills through makerspaces, entrepreneurship programs, and other student opportunities.

In 2025, Purple Eagle applied to Walmart’s SparkGood Community Grant program to support the rollout of West Philadelphia makerspaces. The application emphasized building innovation, confidence, and leadership in youth, while creating opportunities for students to generate products and income through school-based stores.

This effort was led by Ashish Badjatia, Executive Director of Purple Eagle, who coordinated the grant application and forged ties with Walmart’s local store manager in Springfield, PA to align the program with community engagement priorities.

Goals of the Program

·       Provide some starter supplies, technology, and fabrication tools for makerspaces in West Philadelphia schools and develop the strategies to expand these makerspaces.

·       Empower students to design, fabricate, and sell products through PBIS-aligned school stores.

·       Foster innovation, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial confidence in underserved student populations.

·       Build a long-term partnership between Purple Eagle and Walmart to sustain community impact.

The Result

Purple Eagle received a $3,000 Walmart SparkGood Grant to seed makerspaces in West Philadelphia schools. These funds will allow Purple Eagle to:

·       Procure some starting equipment and development of curricula.

·       Provide some consumable materials for student projects, especially those found at Walmart.

·       Begin development of the strategies from the successful Pittsburgh makerspace model and bring them to Philadelphia.

The Impact

The Walmart SparkGood grant marked a significant initial step in Purple Eagle’s expansion to Philadelphia. With Walmart’s support, Purple Eagle not only hopes to launch new school-based makerspace programming but also has built a foundation for ongoing collaboration with Walmart stores and associates.

The grant aims to enable students to gain skills in design, fabrication, and entrepreneurship, while positioning Walmart as a valued community partner in advancing STEAM education.