NC State SPARK: Summer Programs: Aspire, Renew, Kindle
NC State SPARK: Summer Programs: Aspire, Renew, Kindle is an asynchronous professional development offering for faculty, staff, and graduate students.
These summer programs are a series of email blasts, delivered weekly during the month of July, designed to advance the professional development of our faculty, staff and graduate students during the summer months. Each week is designed to help the reader/listener to work through a different aspect of getting ready to go back in the fall by offering original content, journaling prompts, mini-podcasts with subject matter experts, and curated resources such as videos and readings that support the central theme of the week.
Materials are developed to be accessed at your own pace, in your own time, and using your favorite device.
July 2024: The Paper Trail

“The Paper Trail” is an intensive 5-week program (there are 5 Wednesdays in July this year!) crafted to empower academics in maximizing the impact of their projects through comprehensive publication strategies. Throughout the duration of the program, participants delve into every facet of the publication cycle, from the inception of a project to its dissemination across various mediums. With expert guidance, participants engage in the process of transforming their research endeavors into tangible outcomes, including journal articles, book chapters, and strategic social media promotion. By equipping scholars with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the publication landscape effectively, “The Paper Trail” ensures that each project reaches its fullest potential in terms of scholarly contribution and broader dissemination. To sign up to receive the weekly program materials, please register at https://go.ncsu.edu/thepapertrail-registration.

July 2023: Summer of What If?
Week 1: What if Research Was Your Main Focus?
Week 2: What if Leadership Was Your Main Focus?
Week 3: What if Service Was Your Main Focus?
Week 4: What if Teaching Was Your Main Focus?
July 2022: Idea Camp

Week 1: Idea generation
Week 2: Idea refinement
Week 3: Idea planning
Week 4: Idea implementation
July 2021: #Unplugged
Week 1: We are not OK, and that’s OK

Week 2: We are in the moment
Week 3: We can move forward
Week 4: We are ready