While the lab is physically located at one high school, Spark programming is accessible to students across all four traditional high schools through online participation. The district is also exploring ways to bring more students into the physical lab environment over time, expanding hands-on access as logistics and scheduling evolve. As technology and STEM expand, Goode emphasizes that soft skills remain equally critical to student success. He notes that as students transition from high school into postsecondary programs, especially in career-aligned settings, gaps in communication, professionalism, and workplace readiness are becoming more apparent. Even within CTE curriculum frameworks, Goode sees a need for stronger intentional focus on soft skills development, because those skills are essential regardless of whether students pursue college, trades, military service, or direct employment. One of the district’s most effective strategies in this area has been participation in Teamship, a program designed to simulate professional environments through a structured, team-based problem-solving model. In Teamship, students work in teams and are paired with representatives from local businesses. Employers present real problems they are facing, and student teams develop solutions over a defined period. The program culminates in a pitch-style presentation day, where students deliver formal recommendations back to the business representatives. Goode describes this experience as an exceptional way to teach communication, collaboration, business writing, and practical problem-solving in a setting that feels real rather than theoretical. The challenge, he acknowledges, is reach. While the program is high impact, participation numbers remain limited due to class sizes and staffing capacity. Even so, the model is proving valuable as Sampson County Schools continues building a culture of career readiness that extends beyond technical skill alone. 317 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02 SAMPSON COUNTY SCHOOLS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx