TPP Seeks Spark! Volunteers
The Patuxent Partnership’s fourth annual Spark! Student Career Awareness Fair is coming up on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, from 8am to 2pm, and TPP is looking for some volunteers.
If you are interested, please contact Michelle Reloba at [email protected].
The career fair will be held at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland SMART Building in California, MD.
More than 700 students from 17 schools in St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Charles counties participated last year. The career fair is part of TPP’s SoMD 2030 workforce development initiative, funded by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aviation Division.
In past years, the fair has seen robust industry participation. In 2025, there were 40 exhibitors, including seven NAWCAD divisions.
There were interactive, hands-on booths and activities operated by knowledgeable personnel. Students received first-hand insights into various local career opportunities ranging from STEM to finance, health care, skilled trades, and any number of career choices with industry partners.
About The Patuxent Partnership
The Patuxent Partnership is a nonprofit member organization that fosters collaboration between government, industry, and academia to advance education through STEM-based initiatives; to advance technology through speaker programs, forums, and networking; to advance science and technology transfer through the exchange of ideas, information, and data related to technologies; and to increase workforce development through an array of initiatives.
SoMD 2030 is focused on building a STEM pipeline, increasing career opportunities. This collaborative effort is funded by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aviation Division. The Patuxent Partnership is accomplishing the work under an agreement with NAWCAD, working with St. Mary’s College of Maryland, College of Southern Maryland, area public school systems, as well as other schools, industry, and NAWCAD. SoMD 2030 connects talented students with paid apprenticeships and internships.
To learn more about The Patuxent Partnership and its programs, visit its Leader member page.or webpage
