Qualified students at Albany High School now have an unprecedented opportunity to study the emerging field of nanotechnology through NanoHigh, a unique pilot program with the University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering.
NanoHigh courses for AHS students are set to begin in the fall of 2007, with plans to expand the program to other schools in the future.
Under the NanoHigh program, eligible students receive fellowships to participate in nanotechnology-related science and engineering programs at CNSE. Students receive one-on-one instruction from CNSE's world-class faculty, as well as an insider's view of research at CNSE's Albany NanoTech complex. Representatives of the City School District of Albany and CNSE have worked together to develop suitable research programs, establish criteria through which participating students would receive academic credit, and formulate appropriate nanotechnology-enabled courses for inclusion in the AHS curriculum.
UAlbany, through CNSE, is investing $500,000 into the pilot program, including $100,000 in the form of fellowships, scholarships and internships to qualified AHS students, and $400,000 to cover the cost of their research activities on site at CNSE's Albany NanoTech complex.
The mission of the NanoHigh initiative is to develop and implement innovative science and engineering educational programs between AHS and CNSE. Under its pilot phase, NanoHigh will focus on school-to-work activities designed to train AHS students in creative nanoscience and nanoengineering concepts, and help equip them with the skill set necessary to pursue advanced educational opportunities in the field that is "leading to the next industrial revolution."
The NanoHigh program builds upon CNSE's strong ongoing partnerships with area schools, including the successful Albany High School (AHS) – CNSE Nanotechnology Exploration Module Program. As an outgrowth of the Albany High School – UAlbany Alliance for Young Talent, CNSE developed and implemented the Nanotechnology Exploration program to introduce select AHS students to potential career paths in nanoscience, nanoengineering, and nanotechnology through daily, on-site instruction and research activity at CNSE within a modular-based course structure.
The 2007 Nanotechnology Exploration program took place April 16-27 and hosted 16 AHS students. The AHS students were onsite at CNSE five days per week for two weeks of instruction. CNSE faculty and graduate assistants worked with the students as mentors and laboratory coordinators during daily, 160-minute instructional sessions. The nanotechnology modules consisted of four topics that focused on the emerging properties of nanomaterials, which enable new technologies to be introduced into the current marketplace. The general topic areas include nanotechnology-enabled bio- and chemical-sensing devices, microfluidics and chemical mechanical planarization.
Click here to view more photos of the 2007 Nanotechnology Exploration Program.
The AHS Career Exploration Program
AHS has had a long-standing Career Exploration program for high school seniors, and currently has six Exploration programs: 1) Engineering, 2) Education, 3) Financial, 4) Health, 5) Law and Government and 6) Communications and Performing Arts. These programs immerse AHS seniors in a professional atmosphere in one of the six disciplinary areas to provide a unique educational experience and provide the students with an in-depth introduction to potential career areas. The Exploration program places an AHS instructor at the Explorations site to provide daily instruction to students while the students complete their Explorations intern rotations.
CNSE and the AHS Engineering Exploration Program
CNSE has been an active participant in the Albany High School Engineering Exploration program for several years, serving as a host site for student laboratory rotations in the form of internships. Approximately 40 high school students have participated in internships at CNSE. The student body participating in these programs has typically been 30% female, with 35% of the students representing minorities. As part of this program, typically 3-5 AHS students participate in semester-long research internships within the laboratories of CNSE faculty members. Students are in the labs three days a week during this time period, and work alongside faculty and graduate students on research projects that cover the spectrum of specialties comprising the CNSE faculty.
