June 13, 2008 — Twenty Albany High School (AHS) students have just completed the first year of the “NanoHigh” program, developed jointly by the City School District of Albany, New York (CSDA) and the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE). The NanoHigh program, believed to be the first initiative of its kind at a public school anywhere in the country, was designed by CSDA and CNSE to help students take advantage of new nanotechnology-related careers being created in New York’s capital region, across New York State and around the globe.
The NanoHigh program was launched last fall, with introductory nanoscience courses taught at AHS and then brought to life with hands-on, interactive laboratory activities conducted at CNSE that utilized CNSE’s world-class Albany NanoTech Complex. (CNSE took top honors in Small Times’ 2007 University rankings.) Students tackled a variety of cutting-edge facets of nanotechnology, including nanoscale patterning and fabrication, principles of self-assembly, nanobiomedical applications, fuel cell exploration and nanoeconomics, among others.
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.
“This has been an outstanding experience for our students, both through the dedication and excellence of our district teachers and staff, and through our exceptional partnership with the UAlbany NanoCollege,” says CSDA superintendent Eva C. Joseph, Ed.D. “The opportunity for our students to access this one-of-a-kind educational facility and receive hands-on exposure to technology that is transforming our world is an experience that will give them a head start toward starring roles in tomorrow’s high-tech workforce.”
Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros, vice president and chief administrative officer of CNSE, adds, “The UAlbany NanoCollege is delighted to have had the opportunity to work with the visionary leaders in the City School District of Albany to turn the concept of NanoHigh into a pioneering program that has broken new ground in preparing the scientists of the 21st century. I especially applaud the Albany High School students who have embraced NanoHigh with passion and enthusiasm, and look forward to expanding this pilot program to reflect the rapid growth of the nanotechnology economy in the Capital Region and across New York State.”
The success of NanoHigh also led CSDA and CNSE to host the first-ever Capital Region NanoEducation Summit on April 23, 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.”