does the Naval Academy have a similar program to USAFA's Spark?

[HANKER]

The program seems to be about improving campus livability, mental health, academic needs....basically giving cadets the opportunity to improve their academy from their perspective on what it needs. Does USNA have a similar program?

USAFA Spark

USAFA Spark provides cadets resources and education to innovate ideas that enhance their Academy experience.

www.usafa.edu

USAFA Spark provides cadets resources and education to innovate ideas that enhance their Academy experience. When our cadets have the passion to see a project through, it’s our goal to make it happen. We give cadets the opportunity to experience large-scale innovation through site visits, competitions and partnerships with industry.

We influence lasting, creative, positive change in our service and the Cadet Wing.

 

[usna1985]

I don't think most of us (if any of us) are sufficient familiar with USAFA's program to opine on whether there is a similar one at USNA. USNA -- like the other SAs -- offers a variety of programs for mids during the summer, during school breaks, and during the Ac year.

 

[Dr. Strange Love]

.
Is there anything wrong with the normal SA experience?

I don’t think they should do anything that would paint over the experience …. It’s kind of like drinking alcohol and doing drugs … and then expecting to see things with a straight eye.

I prefer to see things with a straight eye …
.

 

[nuensis]

The program seems to be about improving campus livability, mental health, academic needs....basically giving cadets the opportunity to improve their academy from their perspective on what it needs. Does USNA have a similar program?

What I'm reading from the page and what you've described in the post are different things.

I think you're confusing the innovation cell as a whole with one of their collection of student projects. What you're looking for (assisting MIDN with study habits, mental health, wellness, nutrition, etc.) might be resident in the Midshipmen Development Center: https://www.usna.edu/MDC/index.php

There are many opportunities and programs like this at USNA that tie academic project with summer training/internship, and some even a guaranteed service assignment (e.g. Bowman).

How Brigade staff collects, presents, and acts on feedback varies from year to year, as it is a responsibility and leadership challenge for those 1/C MIDN to work issues with Commandant staff and the administration. Part of the leadership laboratory. In the fleet, it is similar: There is always a CO's suggestion box, whether the CO will actually read and respond is another matter.

Health and safety concerns (during my time it was rack safety rails, bed bugs, and the 8th Wing rat nest) are handled as swiftly as possible. I think this was mentioned in the USAFA thread, but some things are tied up in budgeting and contracting processes that won't change without a literal act of Congress.

Big Navy has an innovation process that's all the rage these days--GRGB! https://p2p.navy.mil/

Honestly I would be very impressed if a MIDN-run P2P process was established, under the guidance and with the blessing of Commandant staff.

 

[Nuke3395]

The program seems to be about improving campus livability, mental health, academic needs....basically giving cadets the opportunity to improve their academy from their perspective on what it needs. Does USNA have a similar program?

USAFA Spark

USAFA Spark provides cadets resources and education to innovate ideas that enhance their Academy experience.

www.usafa.edu

USAFA Spark provides cadets resources and education to innovate ideas that enhance their Academy experience. When our cadets have the passion to see a project through, it’s our goal to make it happen. We give cadets the opportunity to experience large-scale innovation through site visits, competitions and partnerships with industry.

We influence lasting, creative, positive change in our service and the Cadet Wing.

I would be cautious about the perceived benefits of “lasting, creative, positive change” being a focus of the US Service Academies. My 18 yr old son volunteered to give his life in combat for this country, if necessary. NOBODY feels good about themselves in a life-threatening situation. It’s scary, stressful, and requires the ultimate amount of discipline and training to survive. Service Academies train the best of the best to ensure your son or daughter survives these scenarios that the average Ivy League student is too privileged to comprehend. Teach my son hardship. Teach my son discipline. Teach my son to depend on his port while protecting his starboard. Teach my son to love family, shipmates and country over himself. I don’t want the Navy to understand my son. I want my son to understand the Navy. My boy doesn’t know the first thing about how to defend his country…he’s just willing to do so. I would be very concerned if the USNA wanted his opinion on how he should be trained to protect this country.

 

[Capt MJ]

I would be cautious about the perceived benefits of “lasting, creative, positive change” being a focus of the US Service Academies. My 18 yr old son volunteered to give his life in combat for this country, if necessary. NOBODY feels good about themselves in a life-threatening situation. It’s scary, stressful, and requires the ultimate amount of discipline and training to survive. Service Academies train the best of the best to ensure your son or daughter survives these scenarios that the average Ivy League student is too privileged to comprehend. Teach my son hardship. Teach my son discipline. Teach my son to depend on his port while protecting his starboard. Teach my son to love family, shipmates and country over himself. I don’t want the Navy to understand my son. I want my son to understand the Navy. My boy doesn’t know the first thing about how to defend his country…he’s just willing to do so. I would be very concerned if the USNA wanted his opinion on how he should be trained to protect this country.

As i have read these posts with interest I recalled the second Commandant I worked for at USNA - went on to 4 stars and the CNO job - and he used to say, “I am not the Chief Morale Officer for Midshipmen (“SeaMom”), my mission is to deliver competent officers to the Fleet and Corps, ready to go in harm’s way, and meet the USNA mission statement, none of which says ‘make mids happy.’” He noted there was the chain of command, the chaplains, and a person’s own ability to control how they feel about things they can’t control. He was a fair, consistent leader, clear communicator, willing to laugh and talk with mids, who worked well with the chain of command and challenged Brigade leadership to bring him solutions. If he had to say “no,” he would address the policy, precedent and leadership experience thinking that went into the decision. He cast a healthy and effective “shadow of the leader.”

 

[HANKER]

I think I have confused everyone. Here is the reason I asked the question. I am applying to USNA. In my high school, I am lucky enough to be on the School Leadership Team, where I am one of only two student representatives that work with faculty and PTA to decide on improvements for the school both socially and academically. This program is similar to SPARK at USAFA. SPARK basically is cadets deciding what projects would enhance the school experience, examples below. I was looking to write about my contributions to my School Leadership Team in my essay and align that work with similar 'groups' at USNA if they exist.

RECENT PROJECTS​

Patio proposal​

With the goal of improving campus livability and cadet mental health, a group of cadets is working with faculty and industry to transform the south side patio of Mitchell Hall. They are looking to turn it into a multi-purpose outdoor seating area. The team is developing a comprehensive design for the space, acquiring funding, and submitting proposals to the Academy and State Historic Preservation Office

New academic minor​

The aviation minor emphasizes aviation science studies and is the first-ever cadet instituted curriculum change. Topics include aviation weather, aeronautical decision making, and thermodynamics. The goal of this minor is to allow cadets to take ownership of their aviation education within their day-to-day academic lives.

Activity directory​

A cadet-led team is developing a centralized directory for all cadet activities such as clubs, teams and squadrons in order to better connect cadets with their interests and their peers. The project aims to improve collaboration and synergy across the Cadet Wing.

​

Spark teaches cadets how to be open minded problem solvers and strive for improvement. Our cadets are encouraged to use their strengths and interests to guide the innovation process and create lasting results.
Looking to make a difference? Come to a USAFA Spark meeting.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

How Brigade staff collects, presents, and acts on feedback varies from year to year, as it is a responsibility and leadership challenge for those 1/C MIDN to work issues with Commandant staff and the administration. Part of the leadership laboratory. In the fleet, it is similar: There is always a CO's suggestion box, whether the CO will actually read and respond is another matter.

To be honest, when I first saw this post a couple day ago, I looked at the link to USAFA Spark and my initial impression is "Duh, isn't that what the Brigade leadership team (both officer and enlisted) is supposed to do ?" This might be a good idea at a HS or Civilian College that really doesn't have an effective chain of command or student government program , but shouldn't be necessary at a Service Academy,

 

[nuensis]

To be honest, when I first saw this post a couple day ago, I looked at the link to USAFA Spark and my initial impression is "Duh, isn't that what the Brigade leadership team (both officer and enlisted) is supposed to do ?" This might be a good idea at a HS or Civilian College that really doesn't have an effective chain of command or student government program , but shouldn't be necessary at a Service Academy,

A program for innovation and process improvement isn't off base. Again, Big Navy is doing this. There is GRGB above, and also NJOC: https://www.nre.navy.mil/organization/njoc.

If the Fleet is looking at improvement, the Academy certainly isn't too good for this.

Sure, park benches and clubs are small stuff, but getting a new academic minor established? That affects the training and education of officers and is certainly something that has larger impact beyond the Academy. It looks like they're just getting started, and there's room and ambition to grow.

What we replaced SEANAV with land nav for USMC hopefuls? We don't lock SWOs to taking ships or Marines to taking dirt 1/C year the same way we lock everyone to SEANAV.

Crazy idea, but is it that crazy? What if someone did the cost-benefit analysis and was able to present a data-driven decision recommendation to leadership? Do we have to wait for some LCDR at OPNAV to have the attention span to figure this out, or the budget for a research contract? Could a few motivated MIDN do the math with a little bit of guidance from an O-rep?

Regardless of the outcome, an outlet for MIDN to turn ideas into decision briefs is pretty neat and pretty good training. Certainly this kind of experience shouldn't be limited to Brigade staff.

And for OP, yes, quick Google tells me there's an innovation cell in the Stockdale Center for Leadership. You can figure it out once you get there.