By Zayden Orenstein 

On 11/01/2024, students from the IT and Engineering pathways flocked to Innovation Academy for a very special joint Flex Friday. The first Super Flex Friday to involve more than one pathway, All Stem Spark Day combined IT and Engineering with transportation to produce a mix of many unique sessions. 

Teachers, student leaders, and business partners all contributed to the numerous available sessions. Before students could attend the sessions, though, Michael Quiello, Vice President of Corporate Safety, Security and Operational Excellence for Avelo Airlines, gave a kick-off Keynote Speaker presentation on transportation and various ideas related to the day to come. 

Students were expected to choose one day-long session, which was split in half by lunch. Many sessions split their tasks between the two halves, tasks that varied wildly between sessions. The sessions covered a wide variety of concepts, some of which included learning about AI obstacle avoidance in cars, reverse-engineering toys, brainstorming applications of electric scooters, creating insect robots, and making Finch robots traverse traffic jams. 

At the end of the day, multiple sessions came together to share what they had created, the product of an entire day’s work. Some sessions incorporated more IT, and others incorporated more engineering. Some presented ideas, and others presented tangible constructions. Whatever the case, each session’s final product embodied the innovative spirit of Innovation Academy. Each group was forced to overcome challenges, but each persevered, created something incredible, and considered how they could improve in hypothetical future iterations. 

Thank you to all the teachers, student leaders, business partners, and other staff members whose contributions to this special Flex Friday made it so unique!