TC Energy partnership expands STEM opportunities

A partnership between TC Energy, CCPS and national nonprofit Kid Spark is expanding hands-on STEM opportunities for elementary students.

In elementary classrooms across our district, students are building, experimenting, and finding new interests through a growing STEM partnership focused on reaching kids early, while curiosity is still taking root.

TC Energy is helping expand hands-on STEM learning across the district in partnership with Kid Spark Education, a national nonprofit focused on STEM.

"This partnership has been transformational for our students," said Dr. Lindsay Hale, CCPS director of innovation and alternate programs. "What makes this so powerful is that students are seeing themselves as innovators, communicators, and future problem-solvers."

Part of TC Energy's community investment program mission is to "improve access to education and strengthen the future talent pipeline." Clark County has been an ideal fit in the area of STEM education, which was already strong in our district.

“We want to catch kids at a time where they’re just trying to determine what kind of things they are interested in," said Rebecca McElhoes, manager of programs/community investment at TC Energy. "If we’re not investing in those programs now with younger students, we’re missing the boat.”

That approach led to a collaboration with CCPS, one that quickly grew into something more impactful by connecting the district with Kid Spark, a national nonprofit focused on hands-on STEM education.

"TC Energy funds nearly all of our district STEM program, and that support allows us to provide hands-on science and engineering experiences that students may not otherwise have access to at this scale," Dr. Hale said. "With the Kid Spark kits, students are designing, building, testing, problem-solving, and collaborating in ways that make science come alive."

Through lessons developed by Kid Spark and supported by TC Energy, students are actively applying science and engineering concepts through hands-on challenges and collaborative problem-solving.

“Students are more engaged, asking deeper questions, and making meaningful connections between what they learn and the world around them,” said Ryan Neden, executive director of Kid Spark Education. "This early exposure helps students begin to imagine future pathways in higher education, technical careers, and skilled trades."

Ms. McElhoes praised CCPS's unified commitment to innovation and student success. “This district is very unique,” she said. “Everybody is bought in. Everybody gets it and seems to be kind of rowing in the same direction.”

Looking ahead, TC Energy hopes to continue deepening the partnership through expanded programming and long-term support focused on STEM, skilled trades, and career-connected learning.

For CCPS students, that investment means more opportunities to explore, create, collaborate.

"This partnership," said Dr. Hale, "is opening doors for students and building a stronger foundation for future learning, careers, and opportunities."

From left, Dr. Lindsay Hale, CCPS Director of Innovation and Alternative Programs; Tristin Ray, Tesha Rainey, Stas Semukhin, and Ryan Neden from Kid Spark Education; and Rebecca McElhoes, Stacey Warner and Audrey Berlie from TC Energy. The representatives visited CCPS and presented their work as part of our Community Connection gathering at GRC this spring.

Director of Innovation Dr. Lindsay Hale, second from left, with the TC Energy team.

Dr. Lindsay Hale with the Kid Spark Education team.