SPARKing Curiosity: Engaging Black Computing Students in Research through a Short, High-Impact Program

Despite the compensatory benefits of student engagement in undergraduate research – such as increased retention, science identity, and graduate school enrollment, Black/African American students at research-intensive universities are underrepresented in computing research experiences. Informed by Kuh et al. 's theory of student engagement, this paper presents an intervention, SPARK (a short program to advance research know-how) that increased research participation among Black/African American computing undergraduates at a research-intensive, Predominantly Black Institution. We describe the design of the activity, levels of student engagement, and its immediate impact, including a notable increase in research sign-ups. This low-cost, scalable approach provides a practical model for broadening participation in computing research.