New Summer Programs Foster Innovation

Pre-college programs and summer camps begin June 12

Six new programs have been added to the Saint Mary’s summer camp roster this year, including  explorations in healthcare, music, fitness, and innovation. Two of the six focus on entrepreneurship for aspiring businesswomen of all ages and will utilize Saint Mary’s new Spark Lab, a 5,000-square-foot, fully equipped makerspace located on campus in the Haggar College Center.

Saint Mary’s has partnered with RISE (Regional Innovation and Startup Education), a local entrepreneurship education organization, to develop two new camps, the Spark Startup Camp for elementary and middle school students, and the Spark Entrepreneurship Institute for students in high school. RISE seeks to prepare high school and college students to be responsible, enterprising individuals who contribute to developing their communities. This new venture will allow young students a chance to develop their own ideas while experiencing life on a college campus, making friends, and learning from each other.

Both summer programs provide incredible opportunities for young women to gain skills to become business leaders. Students are introduced to problem-solving, entrepreneurship, innovation, and ultimately, how to sell their ideas. Not only will participants build skills for success, they also have the opportunity to join a like-minded community of students preparing to be independent business leaders. The partnership with RISE will help create a welcoming and supportive environment for students to take creative risks. RISE believes that “individuals possess unique strengths and skills and an inherent ability to create. We foster this ability by focusing on developing an entrepreneurial mindset while connecting the individual to the processes and tools needed to execute on viable ideas. We meet the individual where they are and invite them into an environment that is both challenging and inspiring.”

This summer, students will design, experiment, and prototype their business creations in a safe, and insightful environment. And by the end of the program, they will have a prototype to show off to their friends. The makerspace on campus will serve as a tool to spark creativity and ignite a passion for entrepreneurship for future business leaders. These two camps serve as a way for Saint Mary’s to host young women on campus for a fun and engaging summer, while encouraging them to dream big.

Learn more about all pre-college program and summer camp opportunities at Saint Mary's College here.