Certificates were presented on June 12, 2008 to 20 Albany High School ("AHS") students who completed the first year of the groundbreaking "NanoHigh" program - developed jointly by the City School District of Albany (CSDA) and CNSE - which is believed to be the first initiative of its kind at a public school anywhere in the country. 

The pilot program was designed by CSDA and CNSE to enhance students' opportunities to take advantage of new nanotechnology-related careers being created in the Capital Region, across New York State and around the globe. Nanotechnology, holds the key to current advances in electronics, health care, energy, environmental science and a host of critical fields.

For more information on the NanoHigh program and inaugural graduation, view the photo gallery, watch the Capital News 9 story: "NanoHigh" in session and the WRGB CBS 6 story on the NanoHigh graduation, read articles on NanoHigh in The Business Review: Nanotechnology program encourages urban students to explore science and The Record: NanoScience Brought to Life for Albany High Students, view a slide show of the pioneering NanoHigh program, and read the full press release.

The unique NanoHigh program was launched in the fall of 2007, with introductory nanoscience courses taught at Albany High School (AHS) and then brought to life with hands-on, interactive laboratory activities conducted at CNSE that utilized CNSE's world-class Albany NanoTech Complex.

Each lab activity at CNSE highlighted specific links to fundamental chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics presented during the class sessions at AHS.  Leveraging CNSE's wide network of partner companies, students were also exposed to the exciting and varied career paths in Nanoscale Science, Nanoscale Engineering, and Nanotechnology.  CNSE lab activities involve some of the following topics:

• Demonstration of Scale:  Students learned the concepts of scale and how a reduction in scale from the bulk to nanoscale entails not only a reduction in size but requires new measurement techniques.  Students learned that nanomaterials obtain emergent properties unique to their reduction in size.
• Patterning Surfaces at the Nano and Micro-Scale: Students were introduced to nano and microscale surface patterning and fabrication.  One of the ways to create nano and microscale patterns is to "write" on a surface using extremely small "pen". In this activity, the BioForce Nano eNabler (NeN) instrument was used to "write" fluorescently-labeled polypeptide onto glass slides.
• Self-Assembly and Microencapsulation: This activity introduced students to fundamental self-assembly principles and micro/nanoparticle formation techniques through the fabrication of polymeric nanoporous membrane-based microcapsules
• Fuel Cell Exploration: During the activity, students were introduced to the concept of fuel cells, their main components, applications and operation principle. They became familiar with how fuel cells are built and how a fuel cell car operates. Then they had the opportunity to build their own fuel cell assembly using real lab hardware as well as run a fuel cell car that is powered with a real hydrogen fuel cell.
• NanoEconomics, From Concept to Consumer: Students learned how innovative nanotechnologies are taken into the marketplace.  Student groups designed a business plan around an innovative nanotechnology-enabled idea and present to their peers. 

Based on the success of the initial classes, CSDA plans to add an advanced nanoscience course next year, as well as a middle school class related to nanotechnology.

The success of NanoHigh also led CSDA and CNSE to host the first-ever Capital Region NanoEducation Summit on April 23, 2008, at which more than 100 teachers, administrators and school board members from throughout the region discussed preparing K-12 students for science literacy, with a focus on nanotechnology, which has been described by the National Nanotechnology Initiative as "leading to the next Industrial Revolution."