Perspective | More than technical skills: How SparkNC is building belonging across North Carolina
When I was in high school in the early 1990s, I knew exactly how I would spend my summers. Every Wednesday was marching band practice, followed by two grueling weeks of band camp in the August heat. Over the years, I gained confidence, learned to accept critical feedback from my color guard instructors, and, most importantly, found a sense of belonging in a community that molded me into the adult I am today.
At the time, I didn’t realize how fortunate I was. For many learners today, especially in rural communities, summer is filled with missed opportunities, loss of peer connections, and the dreaded “summer slide” where learners lose up to three months of academic growth.
As the senior director of district leadership for SparkNC, I am proud to be part of an organization that offers year-round programs designed specifically to close that gap.
SparkNC empowers learners to discover careers in high-tech fields like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software development, and computer systems engineering. We help schools move away from traditional classes and rigid schedules, giving their learners direct agency over what, where, and how they learn.
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At the heart of this flexibility is belonging. It is one of SparkNC’s core signals of success. We value belonging because it promotes engagement, readies the brain for learning, and encourages learners to choose pathways and careers they may not otherwise consider for themselves.
Since we do not adhere to a traditional high school schedule, summer is a prime window for us to help maintain momentum for learners who found their passion during the school year, while offering high-impact enrichment to those who need it most. Through our program, these activities are part of an overall experience where learners select and complete learning modules and build a portfolio of work, all while having the option to fulfill the computer science high school graduation requirement.
Offered in districts throughout North Carolina, our initiative is driven by SparkLab Leaders who are brave and innovative educators who design opportunities for learners to build, code, network, and grow. Through collaborative projects, industry mentorships, and hands-on workshops, these learners find a true sense of belonging.
Uniting the east in Vance County
Summer learning officially kicked off at the Vance County Schools Center for Innovation with learners from six eastern North Carolina districts partnering with SparkNC: Hyde, Edgecombe, Granville, Martin, Warren, and of course, Vance.
The Center for Innovation is described as an “incubator and accelerator for innovative ideas, opportunities, and strategies by offering a variety of user experiences including student-centered learning environments…and the use of cutting edge technology.” Learners enjoyed a jam-packed day of collaboration and exploration.
In the morning, they practiced digital storytelling in the Audio/Video Lab, immersed themselves in augmented reality in the zSpace Lab, and created rapid prototypes in the Design Lab.
Midday, they participated in speed-networking with representatives from UNC Chapel Hill, Vance Granville Community College, NC Works, Emerging Technologies Institute, and Kramden Institute, connecting learners to higher education partners and industry professionals. The day ended with hands-on coding, drone technology exploration, and friendly competitions on the interactive playground wall.
While the technology was the draw, the human connection was the real magic. Learners who started the morning as quiet strangers from different school districts left as a community, laughing, and exchanging social media handles to stay connected long after the day ended.
Real-world engineering in Cumberland County
Moving south to Cumberland County Schools, middle and high school learners spent a week on a college campus for a hands-on engineering camp. In partnership with Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC), the program introduced learners to the engineering design process through creative, screen-free activities.
These challenges helped break down stereotypes about who can become an engineer while building essential skills like teamwork and critical thinking. From there, the learners took on the challenge of learning Python programming and drone piloting. By tackling real-world challenges, they learned how to break down complex problems and think like computer scientists, all while seeing their code come to life in the air.
They wrapped up the week exploring mechatronics, a blend of computing and mechanics, to see how software and hardware work together to create smart, interactive devices. All of these projects helped build their technical skills and spark their creativity. On the final day, school district and college faculty gathered to view student project showcases. Impressed by what they saw, FTCC representatives provided learners with clear pathways, resources, certifications, and degree options to keep their engineering passion going.
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From curious campers to game developers on the coast
Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools is one of SparkNC’s smaller districts, but the summer camp they hosted was nothing short of impactful for the 30 campers.
Learners entered the camp both curious and unsure of what to expect. They left as confident game developers. Every camper, from the youngest eight-year-old to the oldest teen, built an original video game. In three weeks, they designed characters, wrote game logic, created pixel art, and composed original music.
Outside of development time, they participated in daily activities to keep the energy high. They participated in trivia and gaming competitions, game genre debates, and a Game Trailer Pitch Contest where teams pitched their games like movie trailers. Every activity was tied to experience points that campers and teams earned throughout the camp and tracked on a leaderboard.
To make connections to what a future in tech and game development can look like, campers engaged with guest speakers throughout the program, real people working in the industry. They asked lots of questions about their career paths, daily routines, and what it really takes to break into the industry.
On the final day, families, community members, and district staff came into the Spark Lab and played every single team’s game. Then the teams stood up, with their slides and their index cards, and presented their work in front of a live audience: six presentations, 30 learners. Every one of them spoke confidently about their work.
“I cannot fully explain what it was like to watch these kids build something real and stand up in front of their families to say, ‘I made this,'” said the SparkLab leader, reflecting on the experience. “We had tech challenges, behavioral hurdles, and days where I wasn’t sure how it would all come together. But they showed up every morning, kept building, and created something genuinely impressive.”
Industry collaboration statewide
SparkNC’s Teamship model also flourished in districts like Cabarrus, Lexington City, Cumberland, and New Hanover County. Teamship is a “work-based learning experience where teams of learners solve real problems for real businesses, learning to collaborate and problem-solve like professionals.”
In New Hanover County, learners partnered with nCino, a financial tech company headquartered in Wilmington. Students from SEA-Tech High School, New Hanover High School, and the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern North Carolina partnered with nCino staff to address two key challenges: driving company-wide AI adoption without stifling innovation, and better understanding end-users before launching new products.
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Learners interviewed staff about the challenges and worked together as a team to ideate and build solutions. They pitched their best ideas to an audience of professionals and peers.
To conclude their presentations, learners share their lessons learned from the experience.
One team commented that technology alone is not enough: A successful product requires a clear rollout, training, and adoption plan. Another team realized the importance of communication. They learned that cross-functional teamwork, sharing ideas openly, and maintaining an active feedback loop with peers and partners lead to significantly better outcomes.
By stepping into the shoes of industry consultants, these students not only delivered actionable value to nCino, but they also walked away with the essential technical and interpersonal skills needed to thrive in the modern workforce.
A summer of transformation
Looking back at my high school summers on the marching band field, I remember the heat and hard work, but mostly I remember the confidence I gained and the strong connections I built with my peers and instructors. This summer, SparkNC created that exact same magic for hundreds of learners across North Carolina.
Looking back at my high school summers on the marching band field, I remember the heat and hard work, but mostly I remember the confidence I gained and the strong connections I built with my peers and instructors. This summer, SparkNC created that exact same magic for hundreds of learners across North Carolina.