Hamilton, June 6, 2026
176
Students reached across 9 cohorts
48%
Female participants, near-perfect gender balance
72
total hands-on numeracy workshops delivered
Grades 3-5
Students aged 7 to 9 served
Mathstronauts is excited to share that the 2025-2026 SPARK Program is wrapping up, and what a year it has been. From coding games and slime-making to robotics demonstrations and new community partnerships, this year brought hands-on STEM learning to more Hamilton students than ever before.
What is SPARK?
The SPARK Program is a free afterschool program for students in Grades 3 to 5. Across eight fun, hands-on workshops, students explore math through real-world activities, build confidence, and develop skills like teamwork and communication. Every session is free, making quality STEM learning accessible to families across Hamilton regardless of their background or income.
Program Highlights
In 2025-2026, SPARK reached 176 students across nine cohorts, delivered in partnership with YMCA Hamilton Burlington Brantford, BGC Hamilton-Halton, Hamilton Public Library, and the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre (HRIC). The Spring 2026 term is currently still ongoing, with sessions wrapping up at the end of June and beginning of July. We are especially proud to have welcomed HRIC as a new community partner this year, bringing culturally relevant STEM programming to Indigenous youth in a welcoming, community-driven space.
Here is what students accomplished this year:
- 83% post-program score in numeracy and 75% in logical and spatial reasoning.
- 48 % of participants were female
- Students from low-income households (20%), Indigenous and Racialized youth (20%), and newcomers (15%) were among those served.
I used to like maths 50% before but now I’ve learnt a lot of stuff and I like it 99% now.
— SPARK Program Participant, Winter 2026 Cohort
“Every week, my son said he loved his time at SPARK. He displayed feelings of self-confidence that I hadn’t seen before in him. He looked forward to it every week.”
— SPARK Parent, Winter 2026 Cohort
SPARK’s impact was recognized by CBC Hamilton in August 2025, with a feature highlighting the program’s role in addressing post-pandemic learning gaps and building student confidence. Parents shared how the program transformed their children’s relationship with math, with one saying it best: “Every week, my son said he loved his time at SPARK. He displayed feelings of self-confidence that I hadn’t seen before in him. He looked forward to it every week.“
Community partners echoed this sentiment. Patrick Pfeiffer of YMCA Beyond the Bell shared: “Students who typically struggle with math often feel the most confident and encouraged during SPARK. They never fail to amaze me with their excitement and eagerness for each session.”
Making Math Come Alive
This year, students got to experience something truly special: a live robotics demonstration led by the St. Mary Catholic High School Robotics Team (FRC 4039). Seeing student-built robots in action brought the math and coding concepts from their workshops to life, and the excitement in the room was contagious. One student could not contain their enthusiasm, shouting “I love STEM!” during the demonstration.
Thank You to Our Funders and Partners
None of this would be possible without the generous support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Hamilton Community Foundation, the Rob McCann and Family Foundation, and TC Energy. We are also grateful to our community partners: YMCA Hamilton Burlington Brantford, BGC Hamilton-Halton, Hamilton Public Library, and Hamilton Regional Indian Centre, for opening their doors and helping us reach the students who need this program most.
See It for Yourself
We invite you to read our 2025-2026 Annual Report and watch our Impact Video to see the SPARK Program in action.
About Mathstronauts
Mathstronauts is a federally incorporated, award-winning non-profit organization founded in 2016 in Hamilton, Ontario. Our mission is to remove barriers to STEM education and empower young people to develop digital technology and STEM skills. We deliver free, high-quality STEM programs to students in grades 3 to 12 in underrepresented communities across Hamilton.