The community’s college welcomed the next wave of regional eighth graders to campus for SPARK 2026! SPARK is an innovative career exploration event, made possible by strong partnerships between SUNY Broome, Greater Binghamton Education Outreach Program (GBEOP), Broome-Tioga BOCES, and the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce. 

Students from 18 local districts participated in hands-on, immersive learning activities to explore their future academic and professional options within the Southern Tier. The middle schoolers spent their day at their community’s college learning alongside some of SUNY Broome’s most innovative faculty members, and industry professionals from more than 40 of the region’s top employers. Working their way across campus, attendees studied life-saving techniques through hands-only CPR, solved a whodunit case thanks to forensic science, learned the art of flower arranging, and performed on and off camera in the College’s on-campus television studio.  

“To some, middle school may seem early for students to start considering their college and career options, but the students who visited our campus today are just a few years from making some major life decisions,” Dr. Tony D. Hawkins, President of SUNY Broome Community College, said. “We find that eighth grade is the ideal time to start thinking about their futures, and learning which programs and courses they can pursue in high school to be well prepared for what’s next. SPARK provides the perfect venue for students to do exactly that.”

To date, more than 10,000 students have attended SPARK at SUNY Broome since the inaugural event in 2020!

Professor Robert Lofthouse welcomes the next wave of SUNY Broome students! Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers

 

SPARK 2026 Fast Facts 

  • Nearly 2,000 eighth grade students from 19 regional districts attended the event. 
  • Students participated in more than 120 hands-on activities. 
  • 35+ SUNY Broome faculty members developed and presented career exploration activities.
  • 22 SUNY Broome programs and 8 Broome-Tioga BOCES programs were represented. 
  • 75+ SUNY Broome faculty, staff, and students volunteered to coordinate sessions, serve as tour guides, and manage logistics. 
  • 40+ employers partnered with SUNY Broome to facilitate activities.
  • Industry sponsors: M&T Bank, Guthrie Lourdes, LaBella, The Raymond Corporation. 

Have we sparked your interest? Contact Brittney Richardson, Enrollment Management Coordinator, to get involved: richardsonbn@sunybroome.edu

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