SparkNC

What a fantastic West Region Kickoff with SparkLab Leaders, Spark Scholars, and SparkNC team — thanks to everyone who joined us! We kicked things off by aligning around our priorities, sharing inspiring stories from our SparkLab Leaders and Scholars, and setting the stage for innovation and collaboration across the region. What’s next? ✨ Deep dives into regional planning & resource support ✨ Hands-on workshops and peer learning ✨ Rolling out new programming and local initiatives Looking forward to seeing everything come alive in the months ahead. Let’s continue to push forward together! Lynn Moody Dana Brinson Keith E. Babuszczak, Ed.D. McClain Musson Stacey Shumake

We’re honored to share that SparkNC has been named a 2025 Finalist for the  North Carolina Technology Association (NC TECH) Awards in the Purpose Driven Innovation and Public Sector Innovation categories! This recognition celebrates organizations using technology to make a meaningful difference — and we’re proud to be acknowledged for our work transforming how students across North Carolina explore high-tech careers. A huge thank-you to our Spark Scholars, SparkLab Leaders, SparkNC partners, and the entire SparkNC community for making this impact possible. Together, we’re shaping the future of learning and innovation in our state. Winners will be announced at the NC TECH Awards Celebration on December 9, 2025 — we can’t wait to celebrate with so many inspiring innovators! 🔗 Learn more: NC TECH 2025 Finalists Lynn Moody Dana Brinson Joe Ableidinger Keith E. Babuszczak, Ed.D. Dr. Patricia Hilliard McClain Musson Morgan Draughon Rayshoun Chambers Stanton Fields, M.Ed Stanton Fields, M.Ed Nathaniel Myers Amie Caudle #SparkNC #NCTechAwards #PurposeDrivenInnovation #PublicSectorInnovation #EdTech #Innovation #NorthCarolina

Brunswick County Schools officially opened their SparkLab this week to an enthusiastic crowd of students, parents, school board members, and district staff! Students proudly showcased their incredible work in cybersecurity, AI, design (UX/UI), and even their brand-new podcast studio. Their excitement and creativity were contagious — it’s always inspiring to see what happens when students get hands-on with real-world tech experiences. Welcome Brunswick County Schools to the SparkNC network! Watch their LAUNCH VIDEO HERE: https://lnkd.in/gB2zPqwD Lynn Moody Dana Brinson Dr. Patricia Hilliard Keith E. Babuszczak, Ed.D. Stacey Shumake McClain Musson Morgan Draughon Nathaniel Myers Joe Ableidinger Stanton Fields, M.Ed Rayshoun Chambers Amie Caudle

SparkNC is featured in the new report, Seeds of Possibility: Connecting Policy to Practice Across Learning Ecosystems, from Education Reimagined and Remake Learning. The brief shows how policy flexibilities can be used to connect partners, expand real-world learning, transform the educator role and recognize credit across settings. Read: https://lnkd.in/eRZBC9aM  #LearningEcosystems #EdPolicy #CommunityPartners Lynn Moody Dana Brinson Keith E. Babuszczak, Ed.D. McClain Musson

We are excited to announce! SparkNC is partnering with the Carolina College Advising Corps  to have Next Step Advisers support SparkNC scholars as they explore post-secondary options. Next Step Advisers will collaborate with the Spark Lab Leaders to provide catered support to Spark Scholars that is focused on high-tech post-secondary options in North Carolina. Lynn Moody Keith E. Babuszczak, Ed.D. Dana Brinson Stanton Fields, M.Ed SCOTLAND COUNTY SCHOOLS VANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS Edgecombe County Public Schools Asheboro City Schools

Innovation is alive in SparkLabs today. Violet from LEXINGTON CITY SCHOOLS is pursuing her dream of becoming a forensic pathologist by creating an autopsy simulator using Makey Makeys. At the same time, the Edgecombe County Public Schools at Southwest Edgecombe High School SparkLab joined with the interdistrict SparkLab network for the first-ever Live with Spark event, where students and SparkLab Leaders practiced prototyping solutions for the Grocery Store Challenge—exploring how AI can improve the grocery shopping experience. Lynn Moody Dana Brinson Keith E. Babuszczak, Ed.D. Nathaniel Myers McClain Musson Stacey Shumake

The Summer 2025 edition of SparkBytes is here! From Spark Scholars presenting at Education Reimagined in Chicago, to Lab Leaders gathering for their annual kickoff, to district leaders connecting with industry partners at Cisco, this summer has been full of energy and innovation across the SparkNC network. We’re also celebrating a milestone—our very first SparkNC graduates to earn an Honor Cord after completing six SparkNC experiences. 🎓✨ Catch all the highlights here: https://lnkd.in/gPn7KqhQ Lynn Moody Dana Brinson Keith E. Babuszczak, Ed.D. Morgan Draughon Joe Ableidinger Stanton Fields, M.Ed Stacey Shumake Dr. Patricia Hilliard Rayshoun Chambers McClain Musson Nathaniel Myers Amie Caudle #SparkNC #SparkBytes #FutureReady #InnovationInEducation

Yesterday, Pender County Schools officially opened its SparkLab with a ribbon cutting! SparkLabs are designed as spaces where students explore emerging tech, practice their durable success skills, and connect classroom learning to the real world. With this new lab, Pender County students will have more opportunities to design, build, and collaborate as they chart their own pathways into high-tech careers. We’re excited to welcome Pender County Schools into the growing SparkNC network of districts reimagining what school can look like for today’s learners. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/g6btgkVw #SparkNC #FutureReady #PenderCountySchools #InnovationInEducation Lynn Moody Dana Brinson Keith E. Babuszczak, Ed.D. Dr. Patricia Hilliard Stacey Shumake

SparkNC's own Lynn Moody and our partner, District C’s Dan Gonzalez, spoke on North Carolina State University Institute for Emerging Issues' podcast The Connector! Hear about the inaugural SparkNC Exchange and how #Teamships are changing the game and igniting STEM opportunities for high school students across the state. Listen to the full episode: Mailchimp: https://lnkd.in/gTZsY5XM Youtube: https://lnkd.in/ggpVVD9d Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gwtqNeg2