“Give a Little – Help a Lot!” 

SPARK is kicking off “Give a Little – Help a Lot!”, a PWCS employee give campaign. Employees are encouraged to consider donating to SPARK through a payroll deduction.  

Benefits recently rolled out the new CGI ESS application which allows employees easier access to their paystubs, tax information, benefits, and more. This platform also makes it possible for employees to set up an automatic donation as a deduction each pay period.   

SPARK and PWCS encourage employees who can make a $5 donation. A $5 donation per pay period could bring in over $100 per year!  

What can my donation accomplish?  

What could $100 do through SPARK? It could be used to fill four or more backpacks with school supplies as part of SPARK’s annual school supply drive, provide food for two families over the weekend through a partnership with community organizations focused on feeding PWCS families, or it could help two students attend field trips to the Children’s Science Center Lab as part of the STEM curriculum.  

On-going donations are an investment in programs like the ones listed above and more.  All SPARK programs and initiatives fall into SPARK’s Six Areas of Focus: 

• Educator Preparedness (supporting Professional Development & Teacher Launch event) 

• STEM Education (supporting Science Labs, SPARKing STEAM events, Hands-On Experiences, Girls in Tech Day, Women in Engineering Day)  

• Social & Emotional Learning (supporting Teacher "Wellness" Days, Wellness Rooms, Holiday Helpers, and Santa Cop) 

• Innovative & Digital Citizenship (supporting SPARK Grants) 

• Partnerships for School Improvement (supporting the Community Summer Series & Annual School Supply Drive) 

• Career Pathways to Global Citizenship (supporting Job and Career Fairs & Scholarships) 

How do I set up my payroll deduction to donate to SPARK?  

To set up a donation through a payroll deduction, please follow the steps below or watch this short “how to” video (click).  

1. Start by accessing Employee Self-Service (ESS) by opening your web browser and selecting ESS from the “PWCS Sites” folder in your Favorites bar.  
2. Once you click on ESS, you may be prompted to login using your Microsoft 365 login. Be prepared to double-authenticate to enter the wizard.  
3. Once logged in, select Benefit Enrollment.  
4. Next, click the box that says “Personal Deductions”  
5. Under the SPARK campaign titled, “Give a Little-Help A Lot” click “Available Personal Deductions”  
6. Click the check box next to “Prince William Education Foundation” which is SPARK and click the “Enroll” button.  
7. In the blank text box under “Employee Cost” please type a dollar value between $5.00 and $100.00. This amount will be deducted from each paycheck and donated to SPARK until you unenroll in the deduction.  
8. Check the box next to the deduction and click the “continue” button at the top of the screen.  
9. You will be brought to a summary screen in which you can choose to print or email your election(s). Once ready, click the “Submit Enrollment” button at the top of your screen to complete your payroll deduction donation.  

Questions about your donation? Email SPARK@pwcs.edu  

If you have trouble enrolling through ESS, please contact Benefits via ZenDesk so their team can assist in resolving any issues.