When Abby Podwall and Keshin Huang, two passionate North High sophomores, reflected on their childhood fascination and enthusiasm with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), they realized how impactful it was to have early exposure to hands-on learning. With that inspiration, they founded SPARKS (STEM Programs and Resources by Students) in October of this year. They aim to give back to their community by sparking a love for STEM in local elementary school students.
SPARKS partners with Adventures in Learning, a program that provides local elementary school students a place to go after school for guidance and homework help. SPARKS provides high school volunteers and assembles STEM experiments for the students to foster their love for science, math, engineering, and math. Through this program, volunteers from North High dedicate their afternoons—approximately two hours, one to three times a week—to helping children with their homework and engaging them in STEM-related experiments and activities.
The activities are carefully tailored to the young audience, while also teaching the kids important problem-solving and scientific thinking skills. Some activities include exciting experiments like creating center-of-mass objects that balance on a point and holiday-themed experiments like producing fizzy reactions with baking soda and vinegar in colorful Halloween character balloons. These simple yet educational experiments aim to captivate the children’s curiosity and foster a passion for STEM subjects.
“When we plan activities, we try to make sure they are both fun and educational,” says Huang, one of SPARKS’ founders. “Our goal is to provide hands-on learning that sparks curiosity and helps kids see how STEM applies to the world around them.”
SPARKS has already grown to include a team of 12 dedicated high school volunteers. Each of them shares a passion for STEM and a desire to make a difference. Volunteering not only allows them to inspire the next generation; it also helps them develop leadership and teaching skills.
“Volunteering with SPARKS has been a really fun experience,” says volunteer Sydney Ng. “The kids are always excited to try the experiments, and it’s fun helping them learn new things. It’s nice to feel like we’re making STEM less intimidating and more interesting for them.”
To fund the program, SPARKS relies on creative and engaging fundraising events. Recently, the team organized a boba sale at North High, which was a huge success, raising enough money for three STEM experiments. They also plan to host larger events, like a community paint night, to raise additional funds.
The founders are ambitious about the future of SPARKS. They hope to expand their program to more schools in the district, reaching even more children and broadening their impact. The founders believe that with time, their efforts can inspire more students to be passionate about STEM.
“We’re really excited about the possibility of expanding SPARKS to more schools,” said Podwall, the second co-founder. “There are so many kids who could benefit from this program, and we want to give as many of them the chance to explore STEM in a fun and supportive way.”
Although SPARKS is still in its early stages, it has already made a meaningful impact on the local community. By fostering curiosity and providing academic support, SPARKS is helping children develop both their academic and personal potential.
The dedication of Podwall, Huang and their team of volunteers shows that high school students can make a significant difference in their communities. Programs like SPARKS prove that a passion for learning can inspire others and create lasting change.
“We hope SPARKS lights the way for these kids to explore their interests and discover a love for STEM,” said Huang.
