SparkNC is a transformative new initiative that will accelerate learner progress along pathways to careers in high-tech fields like artificial intelligence and machine learning, software development, computer systems engineering, and cybersecurity.
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IGNITING FUTURES
IN TECH
Who We Are
SparkLab Leaders in each participating district advise and support students participating in SparkNC's interdistrict model. SparkNC supports SparkLab Leaders through the efforts of the core SparkNC Team, a small group of Strategic Advisors, SparkNC’s Business Advisory Council, and an amazing group of engaged and committed SparkNC Partners. Click on the links or scroll down to learn more about each of these groups of leaders and how they collaborate to guide and shape the work of SparkNC.
SparkLab Leaders
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Jessica Tinnin
Asheboro City Schools
Nina Darnell
Cabarrus County Schools
Victoria Sylvestre
Chatham County Schools
Jennifer Milton
Cumberland County Schools
Marquita Faison-Burrus
Edgecombe County Schools
Zaina René
Elizabeth City Pasquotank Schools
Michael Spradlin
Granville County Schools
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Nicole Baize
Guilford County Schools
Garland Beamer
Lexington City Schools
Brittany Branch
Mount Airy City Schools
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Sara Toothman
New Hanover Schools
Yolanda Stubblefield
Rockingham County Schools
Ashlynn McNeely
Rowan-Salisbury Schools
Roshein McClain
Scotland County Schools
Nicholas Barrett
Vance County Schools
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Donald Evans
Warren County Schools
The heartbeat of SparkNC is our SparkLab Leaders. These innovative educators advise and support students participating in learning experiences in SparkNC’s interdistrict model.
SparkLab Leaders co-design and deliver in-person learning experiences to students in their SparkLabs, and they partner with other SparkLab Leaders and industry experts to deliver blended and remote learning experiences to students across the SparkNC interdistrict network.
SparkLab Leaders validate and critique student work, help students build their digital portfolios, and develop partnerships with high-tech businesses locally and throughout North Carolina. SparkLab Leaders are the “lead learners” in a new and evolving model for education, actively engaging in the iterative design of SparkNC.
The SparkNC Team
The SparkNC Team
The SparkNC Team supports the SparkLab Leaders and guides the work of SparkNC’s Strategic Advisors, Business Advisory Council, and Partners. Our team is deliberative and strategic, but also impatient and driven to action. We are passionate about transforming learning, particularly for those who have been disengaged or left behind by traditional systems. We believe strongly in public education and the power of innovative educators to build impactful, personalized learning experiences for all kinds of learners.
Scott Benson
Founder
Trail B, LLC
Linda Bernard
Chief Learning Officer
Ultisim Inc.
David Wyrick
Chief Innovation Officer
Innovate UNCG
Tech industry panel speaking to Spark Scholars at the Tech Creatives Summit in July 2023.
SparkNC Business Advisory Council
Members of the SparkNC Business Advisory Council serve as thought partners in our work, brainstorming with our team to vet bold ideas from the perspective of business leaders with a deep commitment to K-12 public education.
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.
SparkNC Strategic Advisors
SparkNC has enlisted the support of a small group of Strategic Advisors to add valuable perspectives to our work in areas at the intersection of education, innovation, leadership, technology, entrepreneurship, and industry.
Adam Garry
ArtificiaI Intelligence Consultant
Allen Mask
CoLab
Managing Partner
Dexter Robinson
Cisco
Jena Collins
Apple, Inc.
Manager, Strategic Initiatives
Jennifer Bell
SAS
Director of Educational Partnerships
Kate Groat
Live Oak Bank
Director of Corporate Philanthropy
Steve Isaacs
Epic
Education Program Manager
Sujatha (Suj) Perepa
IBM
Distinguished Engineer. IBM CIO Office, AI & Machine
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.
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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.
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We are grateful to work with an extraordinary network of partners who collaborate with our team to design and deliver learning experiences, support SparkNC’s operations and strategy development, and host special events to help students ignite their futures in tech!
Our Partners
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.
SparkNC Strategic Advisors
SparkNC has enlisted the support of a small group of Strategic Advisors to add valuable perspectives to our work in areas at the intersection of education, innovation, leadership, technology, entrepreneurship, and industry.
Scott Benson
Founder
Trail B, LLC
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Linda Bernard
Chief Learning Officer
Ultisim Inc.
David Wyrick
Chief Innovation Officer
Innovate UNCG