SPARC [conversations] is a student group that aims to raise awareness and spread knowledge about important topics. It hosts an annual conference, a scholarship competition and panels that all center on the idea of “sparking conversation.”
SPARC is an acronym for an overarching array of topics the students hope will spark discourse—society, politics, art, research and community.
The scholarship competition, called SPARC [scholarships], aims to reward student speakers for sharing their viewpoints about relevant topics. The overarching theme for the competition this year is the experience of minority groups within the STEM field.
The competition, themed “Culture of STEM,” will be held Saturday, Nov. 12, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Tinkham Veale University Center, ballroom A.
Hyland Software sponsors the event, with the winner of the competition receiving $1,000.
The top two winners will move on to the final competition for a chance to elaborate on their speech and win more money. There will be a total of three events leading up to the finals, with each featuring a different topic relating to the overarching theme.
Download an infographic to get the details of the program’s structure.
The full SPARC [scholarships] schedule is as follows:
- Saturday, Nov. 12, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Tinkham Veale University Center, ballroom A.
- Topic: “The Culture of STEM”—focused on the current state of the STEM field and the roles underrepresented groups play.
- Monday, Jan. 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. in Tinkham Veale University Center, ballroom A
- Topic: “Breaking Out of the Bubble”—raising awareness about the varied experiences people have in the STEM field.
- Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. in Tinkham Veale University Center, ballroom A
- Topic: “The Ideal World”—What does the ideal STEM field look like and what can do we now to achieve it?
- Saturday, April 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. in Tinkham Veale University Center, ballroom A
- Topics: All three of the previous topics will be covered; winners from each event will elaborate on their previous speeches.
Learn more about the scholarship at cwrusparc.com/scholarships/.