The Academy for Science and Design Hosted its Third SPARK Conference Day of the School Year

The Academy for Science and Design Charter School, the state’s top-performing public school and largest STEM-specialty school serving students in grades 6-12 , hosted its third SPARK conference day of the school year on Wednesday, February 11, 2015. SPARK Conferences (Symposium Promoting Advancement of Real-World Knowledge) are intended to expose our students to various STEM careers, relevant topics and issues in the realm of science and technology, as well as cultivate their unique interests and talents.

Presenters at SPARK included various members of the ASD school community such as faculty, students, and parents; in addition, SPARK presenters come from local community organizations, some are individuals from higher educational institutions, while others are innovators within the corporate sphere. These presenters believe it is critical to enlighten and inspire our young leaders of tomorrow through exposure to experiences, ideas, and challenges that will help them to become creative and energetic leaders. Individuals who give their time to this conference series are shaping New Hampshire’s future in the realm of science and technology.

SPARK presenters were impressed by the enthusiasm and depth of knowledge of ASD’s student body. Popular sessions presented by members of the community included “African Drumming” (Marie Mendlow, Nashua Community Music School), “Glass & Geometry” (Karen Legault and Hans Schepker, glassgeometry.com), “How an Ultrasound System Works” (Srinadh Godavarthy, Philips Healthcare Ultrasound Division), “Make Ice Cream with Liquid Nitrogen!” (Arthur Keefe, Subzero Ice Cream & Yogurt), “Mechanical Dissection” (Tina Ouellette, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard), “The Math of Music” (Dr. Dan Wolaver), “The FIRST Robotics Competition Experience!” (Team 2342 - Phoenix) and “The Art of Conflict Resolution” (Raya Fratkina, Director of Engineering at Catera Commerce).

All of the students got to choose which sessions they attended, and this SPARK day offered a variety of fascinating topic to explore, like: Programming in the Contest of the Visual Arts, The Beautiful Science of Creating Food and Beverages, Chinese Tea Culture, Eastern Morals in Arabian Knights, Introduction to Flight Simulators, Crazy Creative Writing Skills, Floor Hockey, Handmade Books, Heart Art, Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Mermaid” VS Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”, Heart Art, The Sinking of the Bismark, TSA Work Session, Valentines Cake Pops, ASD Open Mic, The Rise of Cyborgs, Debate: Science or Culture, Just Dance, Valentine’s Day Pop-ups, American Sign Language, Chess and Checkers, Jeopardy!, A Geographical & Cultural Journey on Skis, A Look to the Future, Global Climate Change, Global Warming, Greenhouse Gases - What is Really Going On?, Yoga, Traveling Through History with Doctor Who and many more.

In addition to the above sessions, upper class students had an opportunity to present sessions for the students. These student-run sessions included: “Digital Filmmaking” (Colin Bewley), “Tea with the Great Composers: Chopin” (Noah Jacobs), “Snowshoeing Expedition” (Ian Ayer), “How to Enslave Computers to do Your Bidding” (Colby Knight), “Hylian Geography” (Alex Hargrove), “Introduction to C#” (Darius Grauslys) and Cursive Handwriting (Nicole Beausoleil & Arusha Anupindi). ASD has a stewardship requirement of 150 service hours in order for students to graduate. All of our students excel at helping others in the community, but the students who ran a SPARK session took the opportunity to share their knowledge with fellow students while also volunteering to help the school offer a larger variety of sessions. Stewardship supports the theory that the future leaders, when left on their own, will indeed act as responsible stewards of their environment, and it is also about community service. Through various volunteer experiences, students gain a deeper sense of themselves, their abilities and gifts, the needs of strangers (and in this case, fellow students), and their connectedness to the larger world.

The Academy for Science and Design is actively seeking to partner with local companies and businesses for student-centered things such as internships in STEM fields for our students, financial donations, and/or presenters for our school for the SPARK Conferences. Financial donations can be an outright financial contribution in the amount of your choice, or can consist of underwriting costs for installing a specific facility technology or program. The Academy for Science and Design has two more SPARK Conferences scheduled this year, and presenters from the community are always welcome. More information can be found on our website at www.asdnh.org or email info@asdnh.org.