TELUS Spark Science Centre

Growing plants... without soil? 🌱

That's exactly what's happening at Spark After Dark (18+), powered by ATB Financial! This 60 minute workshop gives you a hands-on look at how food can be grown using just water and nutrients.

In this workshop, you will connect real-world plant biology to the future of space exploration, imagining what it would take to sustain life... even beyond Earth 🌎. You'll work with seeds from the Tomatosphere Project and learn how this kind of growing makes it possible to produce food in extreme environments.

Plus, your spot includes one specialty drink ticket for the featured drink of the night!🍹

What you get:

🌿 60- minute guided workshop
🍅 Tomatosphere seeds
💧 Hydroponic system + supplies
🧪 Hands-on activity

📅 July 10
⏰ 6:00 PM - midnight
🎟️ https://bit.ly/42ZA39Q

Curiosity has always been at the heart of TELUS Spark Science Centre and so have the people who helped shape its story.

We recently reconnected with our Board alumni to recognize the leadership, insight, and commitment that have guided Spark’s growth over the years.

With a refreshed strategic direction and the $45M Keep Calgary Curious capital campaign underway, it was a meaningful moment to reflect on Spark's journey, share what’s ahead, and celebrate the people who helped bring us here. 🚀

We’re grateful for this remarkable community and excited to keep building a more curious future together. 🌟

Big news for the future of skilled trades in Alberta. 🔨 ⚡

Today, Alberta's Advanced Education Ministry announced a generous grant of $300,000 to TELUS Spark's BLUprint program, which stands for "Building, Learning and You", a hands-on initiative designed to help youth explore careers in the skilled trades through STEAM learning.

The skilled trades combine creativity, problem-solving and hands-on innovation, making them a natural fit within STEAM learning. Through BLUprint, youth can explore carpentry, electrical work, welding simulators, VR experiences and more while discovering the science behind the trades in a fun and engaging way.

The program also includes outdoor carpentry experiences throughout the summer, along with year-round indoor programming focused on activities like soldering and woodburning. From plumbing and electrical exhibits to heavy equipment simulators, circuit tables and a construction house, it is designed to spark curiosity and introduce kids of all ages to opportunities.

Since launching, BLUprint has already made a strong impact. In 2025 alone, 42,496 participants engaged with the program, which also earned the Roy L. Schafer Leading Edge Award from the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC).

As Alberta continues to grow, so does the need for skilled tradespeople. Programs like BLUprint are helping more young Albertans see the skilled trades as innovative, rewarding and future-focused career paths! Spark is thankful to YourAlberta (Government of Alberta) for their generous support of this program.

There's a moment at Spark Camps where a child tries something they weren’t sure they could do. A robot moves. A circuit lights up. A project finally works. And in that instant, something changes.

They can’t wait to tell someone. Parents hear about it on the drive home, again over dinner, and the next morning at breakfast.

That’s the magic of camp and that’s what Spark Camps are all about.

This summer, we want every child to have the chance to experience it, no matter what their family can afford. Through our Summer Camperships program, 30 children will attend Spark Camps at no cost to their families, through nominations from nonprofit organizations across Calgary.

As an educational charity, we rely on support of our community to make programs like this possible. Families are making summer plans now, and every gift helps create more of these special moments.

If your organization supports youth access and STEM education in Calgary, we’d love to connect. Or donate personally here: sparkscience.ca/donate. 🔬