Clarkson STEM Ed programs reach 250+ K-12 students in Summer 2024
This summer, more than 250 K-12 students engaged in Clarkson STEM programs at locations ranging from the North Country to the lower Hudson Valley. Programs at all three Clarkson University campuses focused on a range of STEM disciplines including robotics, health sciences, engineering, physics and mathematics. Several of these programs are supported by state and national funding agencies.
This year the Institute for STEM Education and the Lewis School of Health Sciences ran their first Neuroscience camp as part of their Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Students from six different school districts learned about neuroscience, how drugs impact the brain, and healthcare professions and pathways. The week culminated in a capstone project where students presented their findings and shared their opinions about impacts of legalization and decriminalization of various drugs.
New York State Education Department Science and Technology Entry Program (NYSED STEP) funded Clarkson’s 18th Roller Coaster Engineering Camp, attracting more than 100 students at three separate locations, as a part of Integrated Math and Physics for Entry To Undergraduate STEM (IMPETUS).
At the Potsdam camp, students applied math and data analysis to their own amusement parks, strategically designed with rides, concessions and services in the online Roblox-based Theme Park Tycoon 2 software with a goal to maximize profits while keeping customers happy. Students learned about the math and physics underlying rollercoaster engineering and designed their own ride from a blueprint all the way through a first rider experience on Clarkson’s Virtual Reality Roller Coaster.
Students from Peekskill Middle School and Beacon High School participated in the four-day Roller Coaster Engineering camp. Students designed a roller coaster, built a physical model, and used the No Limits software to engineer a virtual roller coaster.
Finally, more than 25 staff and volunteers chaperoned the entire program to a full day of rides, games and food at Six Flags Great Escape in Queensbury, NY
“It is important to create engaging STEM summer programs to provide students with continued enrichment,” said Katie Kavanagh, Director of Clarkson University’s Institute for STEM Education (STEM Ed). “Clarkson faculty, staff, and student helpers collaborate all summer to ensure these programs are both fun and impactful. This year we had 21 Clarkson students who served as mentors to K-12 students and shared their passion and energy for STEM. Our hope is to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers.”
Also funded by NYSED, Clarkson University mentors served students in fourth-through-eighth grades from four North Country school districts in the summer Extended Day Program. Throughout July, Clarkson students visited several schools, running STEM enrichment activities with more than 80 students. Students expanded their knowledge of basic coding and robotics through hands-on experiences and team building exercises.
Extended Day students also traveled to Clarkson’s Potsdam campus to fly drones as part of the summer program centered around the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Students learned how to fly drones and participated in quidditch challenges as they competed against their peers.
With support from Clarkson, 40 middle-school aged students from Tech Valley High School engaged in a drone camp and worked on design challenges throughout the week. At the end of the week they created their own presentations and demonstrations of drones helping our everyday lives in disciplines ranging from farming and agriculture to civil engineering and homeland security.
Students used the drones from the Institute of STEM Ed to learn and prepare their projects all week, and met with other experts in the field,including Ed Ashley, an East Greenbush police officer who runs a drone racing program, Nick Farruggio, a drone photographer, and Frank Peris, a Colonie police officer, who also teaches a class on informatics.
High school students from Dutchess and Orange counties attended the first Clarkson SPECS - Summer Program for Early College Science - Hudson River Ecology and Environmental Science. Activities were designed to gain field and lab experience in hands-on, college-level Environmental Science at Clarkson’s beautiful Beacon campus in a 70-acre state park preserve on the Hudson River in Beacon, NY.
Topics included Hudson River beach seining and species identification, GIS systems for watershed planning, microplastics research in NY waterways, and invasive and native plant species. Many of the students asked about volunteering with our live native animals during the academic year and are excited to attend the program next year.
“These programs allow students introductory access to explore a wide variety of STEM concepts,” said Leigha Burkhalter, Manager of K-12 Outreach about the 2024 season. “Whether through performing experiments or learning how coding plays a role in their everyday lives, students get to interact with the world around them in a fun way. It’s all about creating that connection and giving students a chance to work through their own questions.”
For more information on Clarkson’s STEM Ed program, click here.
