Firespark! started as the brain child of John D. Upchurch, D.M.. John worked with summer programs while he was pursing his degrees and recognized that there were opportunities with band, choral, dance camps and summer theatre programs. What he didn’t see was a program that met the needs of students who had interests in multiple fine arts disciplines. John envisioned a program that brought together working professionals with college faculty to blend theory and practice in a “hands-on” environment, giving students a unique experience. Rather than putting students into a fixed schedule of classes, they were allowed to select specific classes from one or multiple disciplines. This gave each student a personalized course of intense study. The original School for Gifted Students in the Arts (SGSA) began in 1978 when John was Chair of the Division of Fine Arts at Brevard College in North Carolina.

John realized that many students come from smaller schools and communities where the opportunities and facilities are limited. Some of these students were the only ones in their school with their specific interests. When they came together on campus they not only discovered that other people shared their interests, they developed close friendships and bonds that lasted through the years. Perhaps one of the more unique aspects of the program was the early-on decision to make the program kid-centered.

The primary goal became to taylor the course offerings so that every participant had an equal opportunity to learn and grow. Yes, there are performances, art shows and a wide variety of opportunities for participants to demonstrate what they learned during the two weeks, but these were never the goal, only the by-product of individualized attention.

When John moved to Brenau University in 1984, he brought the program with him and re-branded it with the name Firespark!. With the availability of television and radio production facilities and a working relationship with the Gainesville Times, the creative writing program became "communications," and the offerings were greatly expanded. As the program grew, it continued expanding on the strengths of the university adding a Medical Scholars curriculum in 2002 and Legal Scholars in 2004 One of the keys to the success of Firespark! is retaining highly qualified faculty who are passionate about their art who interact to give the students the best possible experience.

Today, the thousands of Firespark "Survivors" are found in all walks of life. Many went on to careers in the Arts, Music, Dance, Medicine, Theatre and Musicals. All of them took with them an experience than many refer to as "The Best Two Weeks of Their Life."

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