{"id":4112,"date":"2024-07-11T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entrepreneurship.asu.edu\/blog\/?p=4112"},"modified":"2024-07-10T23:35:17","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T23:35:17","slug":"sparking-synergy-event-connecting-the-k-12-community-through-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entrepreneurship.asu.edu\/blog\/2024\/07\/11\/sparking-synergy-event-connecting-the-k-12-community-through-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Sparking Synergy Event: Connecting the K-12 Community Through Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"People<\/a>
Photo by: Aaron M. Gould<\/em>
Community members at the Sparking Synergy: Partnerships event at 1951 @ SkySong<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

The sun hangs high in the desert sky on a hazy Thursday morning. Inside SkySong 1951, a group of education changemakers gather to create a storm of new ideas to foster sustainable partnerships and programs for students, families, and communities across Arizona.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

What is Sparking Synergy?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Sparking Synergy: Partnerships is the second gathering of community members within, across, and around ASU focused on bringing together anyone and everyone supporting each other in the K-12 education ecosystem.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We met for our first Sparking Synergy event in October 2023. We brainstormed ideas on how to unite forces across ASU to support the K-12 community members. We used the design thinking process to empathize with various stakeholders in our network and generated actionable problem statements for future innovation. To borrow the words of some Roman emperor: \u201cWe came. We shared. We collaborated.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, six months later, Sparking Synergy: Partnerships opened the conversation to local school districts, nonprofit organizations, and community collaborators that work to develop student programs, community outreach networks, and cross-sector partnerships. Here\u2019s more about what our jam-packed day of synergy entailed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
Photo by: Aaron M. Gould<\/em>
Kim Reynolds welcoming the community at the Sparking Synergy:Partnerships event<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

A Dynamic Event Igniting Future Possibilities<\/b><\/h2>\n

CoLab Keynote<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n

After a warm welcome and introduction from our design committee co-founder, Kim Reynolds, we started the day with a keynote presentation from Alexa Ruona, Senior Program Coordinator here at the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute. Alexa told us the story of CoLab, an organization that is \u201cempowering high school entrepreneurs to turn their passions into businesses, explore their local ecosystem, learn from real business owners, and develop essential entrepreneurial skills through our research-based curriculum and mentorship.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The CoLab support network is a 10-session program that bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world business experience. Students attend workshop sessions to learn about problem solving, business development, customer service and more. The CoLab program culminates in a pitch competition where students compete for award funding for their startup ideas, connect with the community for real-time feedback and share all of their learnings with other investors, friends and family.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Speed Networking\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n

After a successful networking experience last year, we redeployed our Speed Networking activity to ensure everyone in attendance had time to engage and connect. Focused on our theme of partnerships, we asked everyone to share two things they bring to the table for their partners and one thing they need from others around them to support their work. Business cards were flying and LinkedIn profiles were glowing in the light of a newfound network.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panel Powerhouse<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n

Once everyone settled in around their new connections, an expert panel on building, maintaining and sharing partnerships kindled the flame of inspiration for attendees before lunch. Sparking Synergy: Partnerships expert panelists included:<\/span><\/p>\n