Program Helping NC Students Explore Tech Fields
In 2023, SparkNC received $3 million in funding from lawmakers and was later transitioned to a non-profit by June 30th.
North Carolina lawmakers approved pilot programs in 17 high schools to encourage students to pursue high-tech careers. On March 26, 2024, a joint legislative committee received an update on the programs’ progress.
SparkNC
SparkNC, provides education and training in various tech fields, including artificial intelligence, computer systems engineering, data analytics, game development and design, and software development. Each topic category contains multiple sub-categories. In total, there are over 70 different opportunities available for students. The program is designed to be “stackable”, meaning that students can gradually acquire skills and knowledge through sequential learning experiences. The program consists of eight units, an introductory module, and a capstone experience, all of which are worth one high school credit. One advantage of the program is that students can adjust the pace of their learning to match their interests, abilities, and learning styles.
Lynn Moody, Senior Director of Partnerships for SparkNC, spoke to the joint legislative education oversight committee on Tuesday and highlighted the difficulty of finding people with the technical and durable skills required for high-paying jobs in North Carolina. Moody emphasized the need for students to explore fields such as artificial intelligence, computer systems engineering, data analytics, cybersecurity, and software development without fear of failure.Dr. Edith Skipper, principal at Southeast Area Technical High School in New Hanover County, one of SparkNC’s first pilot programs, gave an example of how the program works. “We happen to put a coffee bar at a high school, and our SparkNC students were able to write a proof of concept for an app for that coffee bar. We know that the people are the heart of this work-we know that the lab leaders and the folks in those labs are leading the way with these children that may or may not see themselves in high tech fields.”
Shawn Stover, the superintendent of the Rockingham County School System, stated “SparkNC provides our students with work that is similar to what they will encounter when they go out.
“SparkNC is gaining the attention of the business community because it is developing a pool of talent that will produce future leaders for companies. However, even though our internal human capital organizations are exceptional, they still have room for improvement in two areas,” explained Allen Mask, a member of the SparkNC Business Advisory Council. “They spend more time educating new hires rather than training them, and they still recruit from limited talent pools when they should be expanding their search to include deeper wells of talent that organizations like SparkNC will produce in the future.”
Resource:
Bass, David N., et al. “Pilot Program Enables NC High School Students to Explore Tech Fields.” Carolina Journal –, 27 Mar. 2024, www.carolinajournal.com/pilot-program-enables-nc-high-school-students-to-explore-tech-fields/.
SparkNC Demo at Lexington Sr. High School
On March 21st, 2024, Joe Wallace, the President and CEO of The Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce, attended Lexington City Senior High School’s SparkNC Demo Day. The event showcased the students participating in the SparkNC program, which was created by the NC Department of Instruction and funded by the NC General Assembly. The program enables students to explore careers in high-tech fields through non-traditional classes where students choose what, where, and how they learn. During the event, Wallace was impressed by the students’ command of their respective subjects and their excellent public speaking skills. He also noted the students’ interactions with community members present at the event were remarkable. Overall, Wallace found the event to be “eye-opening.”