IGNITING FUTURES
IN TECH
Get Involved
Join the SparkNC Team
We are passionate about transforming learning, particularly for those who have been disengaged or left behind by traditional systems. We are deliberative and strategic, but also impatient and driven to action. We believe strongly in public education and the power of innovative educators to build impactful, personalized learning experiences for all kinds of learners. Links to open positions appear below.
Donate to SparkNC
All North Carolina students should have opportunities to ignite their futures in tech. Your gift today supports SparkNC in providing more high-quality, engaging learning experiences to North Carolina students.
SparkNC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Federal EIN: 92-1765886. Your contribution is tax deductible as allowable by law. If you would like to donate by phone or by mailing a check, please contact donate@sparknc.org.
Partner with SparkNC
Live Units are designed and led by SparkLab Leaders and industry experts in a live format either in-person or virtually in SparkLabs. Live Units will be available to students across the network of SparkNC districts and are great for those who enjoy learning in a cohort and a time-limited way. Keep checking on the SparkNC platform for new Live Units that will be launched throughout the year!
Experiential Units are live events and programs such as student conferences and summits, hack-a-thons, teamships, job shadowing and hands-on learning opportunities. They might be offered in SparkLabs, at high-tech companies, with university and community college partners, or at other sites across participating communities. Experiential Units take place in real-world settings that help learners build familiarity and comfort within professional and high-tech environments.
On-Demand Units on the SparkNC platform are available for learners to choose and complete at any time that works for them. These Units can be done by a single learner, or students can partner with others to learn in a small group to collaborate and encourage one another's progress.
If you are interested in any of the opportunities to partner below, please email partner@sparknc.org
IGNITING FUTURES IN TECH
Learner-Centered
Students own their learning journeys. SparkNC lets students choose learning experiences to explore fields like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software development, data analytics, game development & design, and computer systems engineering.
Industry-Relevant
Through partnerships with tech businesses, SparkNC helps students develop professional networks and build the “success skills” employers value. Students gain a competitive edge by completing real-world projects that create strong portfolios of relevant work.
Competency-Based
Students move at the pace of learning. They can speed up, or slow down, based on their passions, their abilities, and their learning styles. SparkNC sets learning targets and empowers expert educators to advise and support students on personalized paths to success.
What We Do.
SparkNC is supporting NC districts to pilot new interdistrict approaches to teaching and learning that will accelerate student progress on pathways to careers in high-tech fields like artificial intelligence and machine learning, software development, computer systems engineering, and cybersecurity.
Why We Do It?
Too few learners know about high-tech jobs that will dominate the future job market in North Carolina. Even fewer see pathways for themselves into these jobs.
If you are interested in any of the opportunities to partner below, please email partner@sparknc.org
Q & A with an Expert:
As a high-tech employer, you would be willing to talk with an individual or small group of students to answer a particular question based on your professional background. SparkLab leaders would email you to find the best time and communication tool.
Spark Talks:
As an industry professional, you can work with our Creative Director to plan to engage with students as a guest speaker. Speakers focus on a range of topics, from content specific to their business, to general career advice. The speaker series is provided to the Spark Labs across NC on a specific time and date. Our facilitator monitors student questions and interacts with the speaker. Think brief TED Talk.
Host a Special Event:
As an innovative employer, you can help us host special events. These events take place in person and help students see themselves working in business environments. These special learning opportunities include activities such as hackathons, design thinking challenges, deep dives on specific units, and/or unique current event topics.
Visits and Tours:
As an industry leader, you can help us coordinate tours for students, administrators, or educators to get a behind-the-scenes look at high-tech spaces. These expeditions provide hands-on experience and give us unique insight into current business conditions and the needs of industry today.
Provide a Meeting Space:
As an innovative place of business, you can provide meeting spaces for large or small groups. We need places for expeditions, training opportunities, and group meetings that simulate a true business environment.
Job Shadowing:
As a high tech employer, you can provide an in person, work-based learning day at your place of work for a student. This allows the student to follow an employee at a business for a short period of time to learn about a particular occupation or industry.
Student Internship:
As an employer, you can provide students with an opportunity in real-world environments for exposure to the requirements of a particular occupation or industry, the work environment and the behavioral expectations for success on the job.
Spark Teamship:
As a business leader, you can work with District C to provide real world problems for student teams. We want to offer diverse teams of students the opportunity to work on authentic business problems. District C-certified coaches will guide students through the process until they are ready to present their solution(s) back to your business.
Subject Matter Consultant:
As a subject matter consultant, you can support the design of units with a small team of educators. We need you to provide industry knowledge for our content and guide us on the technical aspects of high-tech fields.
Curriculum Specialist:
As a curriculum specialist, you can help us co-create content for our units. If you have an interest in writing engaging learning experiences centered around one of our high-tech fields, then you might be interested in joining a small design team.
Donate:
As a philanthropist, we need your help in sponsoring events or making direct financial contributions to support a specific project. We customize the recognition benefits based on the project and partner’s needs. We are proud to partner with grantmaking organizations, corporate responsibility offices, and philanthropists who align with our SparkNC vision.