Spark Day
A Hands-On Regional Career Exposure Event
Spark Day is grounded in career inspiration, youth voice, and connections to tools and social capital.
Spark Day is a single day model implemented within the regular school day or out-of-school setting designed to uplift quality job pathways in the home region. The day includes 3-4 region-specific “innovation experiences,” a regional career pathways lesson, and one-on-one youth career interest listening sessions.
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An “Innovation Experience” is a 30-90min lesson plan that incorporates 21st technology, hands-on learning and collaborative problem solving. The experience is designed to directly align with, and include discussion of quality job pathways within key growth sectors specific to the region. Innovation Experiences, including the technologies used, are informed by local companies and workforce partners. Examples of primary growth sectors include construction and the skilled trades, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, outdoor recreation, energy, and agriculture. The experience is designed for 3-5 participants and 2-3 AmeriCorps members will be trained to staff and lead each Innovation Experience.
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Spark Day is a non-technical experience that will be engaging for youth in the 8th-12th grade range. It could be an informative experience for 8th/9th graders considering career pathway(s) options to further explore through high school, while also being of value to near-graduating 11th/12th graders that are considering entering the regional workforce. Regardless of career interests, the experience will raise awareness, for all learners, of the economic opportunities that exist in their home region.
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The model is designed to be nimble and implemented with a variety of local partners. A school classroom, nonprofit partner office, or workforce center room, will be transformed the afternoon before Spark Day implementation. This includes bringing in the technologies and kiosk-style materials for each experience and booths to hold the Listening Sessions. Pop-up visuals and banners will be created with inspirational images and information related to Colorado specific career pathways.
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5-8 AmeriCorps members will be overseen by Homegrown Pathways lead instructor. This will provide the capacity for the day to implemented without requiring prep or training of the partner staff or classroom teacher.
Spark Day has three primary phases, with lunch provided by Homegrown Pathways:
Innovation Experiences – Approximately 3 Hours
3-5 Innovation Experiences are implemented with participants rotating through in groups of 3-5 participants. AmeriCorps members staff each experience, while the Homegrown Pathways lead educator provides overall facilitation. At least one of the experiences will include a “take-home” creation or artifact for each individual participant.
Regional Career Pathways Lesson – Approximately 1 Hour
Homegrown Pathways’ lead educator facilitates a presentation and discussion that highlights career opportunities in the region as well available resources to further explore, including those offered by the school district, local chambers, workforce centers and post-secondary institutions. The lesson plan will include highlighting dynamic work and projects being led by local companies as well as reference to entrepreneurial pathways.
Individual Listening Sessions – Approximately 1 Hour
Individual youth/young adults with be paired with two AmeriCorps members for a scripted 10min reflection session. During the session, participants will be asked about what experiences and careers were personally compelling (or not) and what they would like to learn more about. The notes from these sessions will (optionally) be provided to school academic counselors and/or youth mentoring staff. As Homegrown Pathways organizational capacity grows, notes from these conversations will be used to create a fully personalized Regional Career Pathways Toolkit. While not in their Listening Session, other participants will be able to further explore with asynchronous technology, including career-oriented VR headsets and experiences.
The lead instructor will provide concluding framing to the day, including reference the Regional Career Pathways Toolkit, which will be provided and individually address to each participant within two weeks. The concluding framing will include summarizes the “Polaris Framework” and tips for further personal reflection. Each participant will receive a small take-home gift that reflects Ursa, Homegrown Pathways logo and the symbol for the Polaris Framework.
