Spark Students Imagine Stanstead in 2075
What will Stanstead look like in 50 years?
Will new technologies change the way we live and work?
How might our community grow, and what challenges will future generations need to solve?
These are some of the questions guiding this year’s Spark program, a hands-on learning initiative offered by Phelps in local elementary schools. Through science, engineering, mathematics, and creative problem-solving, students are invited to imagine the future of their community while developing the skills they will need to help shape it.
Inspiring Curiosity Through STEM
Launched in 2014 for students in Grades 3 - 6, Spark has since expanded to reach students in Grades 1 through 6 at both Sunnyside Elementary and Jardins-des-Frontières. The program was designed to ignite curiosity and foster a love of learning by giving students opportunities to explore new ideas, experiment, and work together.
This year, students are looking ahead to Stanstead in the Year 2075. Through age-appropriate discussions about artificial intelligence, population growth, and the jobs of the future, they are encouraged to consider how the world might change over the next 50 years, and what role they could play in that change.
The theme begins with a photograph of a future-looking city filled with tall buildings and rooftop gardens. Students are invited to examine the image, share their observations, and imagine what similar changes might look like in Stanstead and beyond. Their ideas become the starting point for a series of monthly challenges, each presenting a problem for students to investigate and solve.
Building a Bridge to the Future
Throughout the month of October, students are putting on their engineering hats to tackle a challenge inspired by a local landmark: the Tomifobia River, which runs through the heart of Stanstead. With rising water levels as their hypothetical scenario, students must design and build a new bridge that would allow both vehicles and pedestrians to cross safely through the village.
Before construction begins, students explore different types of bridges and learn about concepts such as weight distribution and structural support. Working in teams, they must then turn their ideas into a functional design capable of supporting a six-pound rock.
More Than Just Building Bridges
The challenge involves much more than building with materials.
Students are encouraged to share ideas, sketch a plan, gather the materials they need, and divide responsibilities within their group.
Some take on roles such as timekeeper or materials runner, while others focus on design and construction. Teams must also decide how to use their time effectively, leaving room to test their creations and make adjustments before the final weight test conducted by Phelps staff.
Just as important as the final result is the reflection that follows.
After testing their bridges, students discuss what worked well, what proved difficult, and what they might do differently next time. Whether their structure stands strong or needs another round of improvements, each attempt offers an opportunity to learn.
By connecting classroom concepts to a familiar part of their community, Spark encourages students to see learning as something practical, creative, and relevant to their lives. It gives them space to experiment, learn from mistakes, listen to one another, and discover that there is often more than one way to approach a problem.
Shaping the Future, Starting Today
As students continue exploring what Stanstead might look like in 2075, they are doing more than imagining a future filled with new buildings and technologies. They are beginning to think about the people, ideas, and collaborative efforts that will help build it.
And perhaps that is one of the most valuable lessons Spark can offer:
the future is not simply something to wait for.
It is something we can begin shaping today.
About Phelps Helps
Phelps Helps is a community-led non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children, teens and young adults in Stanstead and the surrounding area. Through free educational, career and youth development programs, Phelps works alongside young people, families, schools, volunteers and community partners to create opportunities and remove barriers.
To learn more, volunteer or get involved, contact info@phelpshelps.ca, visit www.phelpshelps.ca or call 819-704-0799.
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