Spark Learning Community

News

Finding Their Spark

Location: Bradley Residence Hall (one floor) | # of Residents: 67
Types of Rooms: mixed coed floor of double rooms (gender inclusive room options available)
Sponsor: College of Letters and Science | Open to all majors
Additional Fee: $250 (exception request form)
Email: spark@housing.wisc.edu | Instagram: @SparkLearningCommunity

The Spark Learning Community is the perfect place to ignite your UW-Madison journey. Spark residents have access to dynamic presentations by top UW-Madison researchers, small-group activities led by dedicated faculty and peer mentors, and a supportive community to inspire your curiosity and drive. You’ll explore your interests, build your skills, and discover how you can make a difference. All this while living with a tight-knit, cohesive community that shares your passion for learning and making an impact.

With Spark, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how people in different subjects study the world, and you’ll develop a toolkit of personal and professional skills that’ll serve you in college and beyond. You’ll see how ideas turn into solutions to real-world problems, and you’ll be empowered to contribute to the Wisconsin Idea. Join us and ignite your passion for discovery and community engagement!

How to Join

All items must be completed by your due date (May 1 for most admitted students). You can be assigned to any learning/theme community even if you did not preference it.

Sign your University Residence Halls contract and submit your advance payment in My UW Housing.
Rank the Spark Learning Community first when you submit your hall preferences in My UW Housing.
Prioritize learning communities over residence halls when you submit your hall preferences in My UW Housing.
Indicate if you want a random or preferred roommate in My UW Housing, and create/join a roommate group if you have a preferred roommate(s). Make sure all preferred roommates have matching preferences.

Seminar

A group of people listen to another person talking with trees and grass around them and a lake in the background

Spark Seminar
Inter LS 158 | 1-credit

The Spark Seminar is an interdisciplinary course designed to introduce students to the rich history, diverse perspectives, and community engagement principles that define the Wisconsin Idea. Through a series of modules including faculty presentations, hands-on activities, and small group discussion, students will explore the metaphor of building and sustaining a fire, drawing parallels to their academic and personal journeys at the University of Wisconsin. By the end of the course, students will understand the historical and cultural context of the university, recognize the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, develop skills in research and community engagement, and propose Wisconsin Idea projects that leverage their unique strengths and interests. Course emphasis is on building community for new students while leveraging multiple viewpoints and strategies to support creative problem-solving.

Programming

Community Goals

Spark students will build confidence in themselves as learners, thinkers, and contributors to public knowledge and change.
Spark students will cultivate an awareness of how knowledge can serve the common good.
Spark students will explore the Wisconsin Idea as a living principle and its relevance to their lives, studies, and communities.

Events & Activities

Examples of typical Spark activities include:

Fall kickoff lunch
Field trip to Devil’s Lake State Park (Tee Wakącąk)
Sky lantern celebration
Spark & s’mores social bonfire
Field trips to key local sites (Wisconsin State Capitol, Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin’s New History Center coming 2027)
Field trips to Milwaukee and the Menominee Reservation
Alumni networking nights
Public policy workshops
Presentations by graduate students working on their dissertations
Small group excursions with Spark Peer Mentors
Volunteer days
Community socials