SPARK Summer Program
We Are Proud To Announce A New Partnership This Year With The Connecticut Invention Convention!
This partnership empowers us to offer a "She Innovates" session daily that fosters creativity, leading up to a CIC Innovation Showcase.
About SPARK
SPARK is a summer camp for middle school girls interested in STEM. It is a unique experience designed and delivered by current UConn undergraduate women studying Engineering and Science, with input and additional experiences from UConn women faculty and staff, as well our corporate and non-profit partners. It includes:
1. One-part hands-on STEM learning
2. One-part women's empowerment
3. One-part creativity and innovation
engagement
4. One-part camp fun and community building
1. One-part hands-on STEM learning
2. One-part women's empowerment
3. One-part creativity and innovation engagement
4. One-part camp fun and community building
More Specific Examples of Weekly Activities:
- Daily engineering project related to weekly theme
- S.T.E.M demos
- Professional female engineer guest speakers from amazing Connecticut companies
- Games and fun group activities
- Workshops pertaining to social and academic high school success, female diversity and empowerment, environmental impact, and more
- Lab and UConn tours
Our SPARK Applications are now open! Deadline April 19th, 2024
SPARK Program 2024
-- Empowering The Next Generation Of Woman Engineers --
SPARK, an in-person overnight summer program at UCONN Storrs for young women interested in STEM. Complete exciting projects, tours, and empowerment activities planned and led by female UCONN Engineering students.
SPARK 2023 Activities
Sponsored By: Vergnano Institute Of Inclusion
Eligibility: Must be a current 6th – 9th grade female student during the 2024 – 2025 school year. Applicants who are not in the grade range but are interested in the program are encouraged to apply to be placed on the waiting list
Pricing: $995 per week for residential students(preferred to help build community)
$695 per week for day campers
Partial & Total Financial Aid Are Available
***Cost Should not be a barrier to not apply!***
For any questions, please contact engr-spark@uconn.edu
Eligibility: Must be a current 6th – 9th grade female student during the 2024 – 2025 school year. Applicants who are not in the grade range but are interested in the program are encouraged to apply to be placed on the waiting list
Pricing: $995 per week for residential students(preferred to help build community)
$695 per week for day campers
Partial & Total Financial Aid Are Available
***Cost Should not be a barrier to not apply!***
For any questions, please contact engr-spark@uconn.edu
SPARK 2024 Weekly Programs
FLASH - Week 1
July 7th - July 12th
Learn the magic of animation & special effects that goes behind the sciences of many films!
Focus: Computer Science Engineering, Chemical Engineering
Project Name: Ya Heard
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will use software to create sound effects that will later be used in their own mini movie.
Learning Outcomes: Understand the process of making a movie using Earsketch
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will use software to create sound effects that will later be used in their own mini movie.
Learning Outcomes: Understand the process of making a movie using Earsketch
Project Name: Stop, Drop, & Draw
Project Description & Execution: Learn about the magic that goes into making animated films. Sparklers will create stories and turn them into 2d animations using flipbooks and artificial intelligence (AI). This merges art and science together
Learning Outcomes: learn the fundamentals of animation using multi-media platforms
Project Description & Execution: Learn about the magic that goes into making animated films. Sparklers will create stories and turn them into 2d animations using flipbooks and artificial intelligence (AI). This merges art and science together
Learning Outcomes: learn the fundamentals of animation using multi-media platforms
Project Name: Stop Motion For Me
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will use Scratch as a starting point for creating their own animation and movement on screen
Learning Outcomes: Learn a Coding Language – Scratch
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will use Scratch as a starting point for creating their own animation and movement on screen
Learning Outcomes: Learn a Coding Language – Scratch
Project Name: Who Dunnit?
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will learn about logic and decision trees and apply this to making their own digital mystery
Learning Outcomes: Understand systematic decision making that’s useful in things like coding or electronics
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will learn about logic and decision trees and apply this to making their own digital mystery
Learning Outcomes: Understand systematic decision making that’s useful in things like coding or electronics
Project Name: Flash Bang
Project Description & Execution: Using their collective knowledge from throughout the week, sparklers will create their own movie with the new skills they’ve learned. Sparklers will incorporate both visual and audio engineering techniques in their final products.
Learning Outcomes: Incorporate everything learned so far with innovative design
Project Description & Execution: Using their collective knowledge from throughout the week, sparklers will create their own movie with the new skills they’ve learned. Sparklers will incorporate both visual and audio engineering techniques in their final products.
Learning Outcomes: Incorporate everything learned so far with innovative design
SPLASH - Week 2
July 14th - July 19th
Operation: Save our Planet!
Join us to use STEM skills to design solutions to navigate climate change, search and rescue, and make an impact.
This Week Is Sponsored By A Grant From The NAVY (Thanks, Dr. Lexi Hain!), And Has Several Financial Aid Fellowships Available!
Focus: Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Material Science, Aquatic Science
Project Name: Finding Nemo
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will help find dory using the science of light and water on one day
Learning Outcomes: Law of Refraction, Difference of sound underwater
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will help find dory using the science of light and water on one day
Learning Outcomes: Law of Refraction, Difference of sound underwater
Project Name: Finding Dory
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will help find dory using the science of sound and sonar in water
Learning Outcomes: Learn how engineers have adpated to make sonar technology , Difference of Sound underwater, Hydroacoustics
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will help find dory using the science of sound and sonar in water
Learning Outcomes: Learn how engineers have adpated to make sonar technology , Difference of Sound underwater, Hydroacoustics
Project Name: Moana’s Ride – Part 1
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will help save Moana and HeiHei by designing and constructing a boat
Learning Outcomes: Sparklers will learn how to build makeshift boats in groups of 2, while also learning about the material science behind boats, and how boat engines run
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will help save Moana and HeiHei by designing and constructing a boat
Learning Outcomes: Sparklers will learn how to build makeshift boats in groups of 2, while also learning about the material science behind boats, and how boat engines run
Project Name: Moana’s Ride – Part 2
Project Description & Execution: Using the boat designed yesterday, Sparklers will then need to test the vessel and traverse across different densities of water, and different aquatic environments.
Learning Outcomes: Sparklers will learn about the material science behind boats and ships, and how the manipulation of water densities directly affects their ability to float on water.
Project Description & Execution: Using the boat designed yesterday, Sparklers will then need to test the vessel and traverse across different densities of water, and different aquatic environments.
Learning Outcomes: Sparklers will learn about the material science behind boats and ships, and how the manipulation of water densities directly affects their ability to float on water.
Project Name: Ocean Clean Up
Project Description & Execution: Atlantis needs a makeover! Sparklers will need to use a variety of filtration techniques in order to help clean up this sunken city.
Learning Outcomes: Sparkles will be able to learn hands on about the different techniques that are adopted to filter impure water and make it drinkable.
Project Description & Execution: Atlantis needs a makeover! Sparklers will need to use a variety of filtration techniques in order to help clean up this sunken city.
Learning Outcomes: Sparkles will be able to learn hands on about the different techniques that are adopted to filter impure water and make it drinkable.
KAPOW - Week 3
July 21st - July 26th
Explore The Action World Of Famous Female Super Heroes & How They Keep Theirs Worlds Safe And Up To Code
Focus: Civil Engineering, Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Project Name: “Is Your superhero really super?”
Project Description & Execution: Students will test their own strength as a super hero! They’ll use force sensors to measure the amount need to break through movie set walls
Learning Outcomes: measuring superheros force and accleration using basic physics
Project Description & Execution: Students will test their own strength as a super hero! They’ll use force sensors to measure the amount need to break through movie set walls
Learning Outcomes: measuring superheros force and accleration using basic physics
Project Name: Swinging Past The Spider-Verse Part 1
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will learn about structural stability and the safety of buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure.
Learning Outcomes: SPARKlers will learn about material properties and balancing forces for stability
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will learn about structural stability and the safety of buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure.
Learning Outcomes: SPARKlers will learn about material properties and balancing forces for stability
Project Name: Swinging Past The Spider-Verse – Part 2
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will experiment and create different “artificial webbing” using different materials and goals
Learning Outcomes: Continued learning about materials
Project Name: Swinging Past The Spider-Verse Part 3
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will test their webs across the spider verse set they designed in part 1 emphasizing concepts of structural integrity, material strength, and load-bearing capacity.
Learning Outcomes: Engineering Design process
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will test their webs across the spider verse set they designed in part 1 emphasizing concepts of structural integrity, material strength, and load-bearing capacity.
Learning Outcomes: Engineering Design process
Project Name: Superhero’s Sidekick: Forensics
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will pick up where superheroes left off to help solve a crime. Using bones, we combine science and engineering to learn more about what might have happened
Learning Outcomes: Measurements, data tables, image analysis
Project Description & Execution: Sparklers will pick up where superheroes left off to help solve a crime. Using bones, we combine science and engineering to learn more about what might have happened
Learning Outcomes: Measurements, data tables, image analysis
SPARK 2024 Schedule (Subject To Change)
