Summer STEM Programs at Clarkson Bring Hands-On Learning to Students, Teachers Across the North Country

• Home >
• News & Events >

This summer, roughly 150 K-12 students and 20 teachers participated in Clarkson STEM programs covering a variety of STEM fields, including health sciences, energy awareness, engineering, physics, and mathematics. Many of these initiatives receive support from state and national funding organizations. All of these interdisciplinary programs rely on talented Clarkson undergraduate student interns who take their excitement for STEM and spark interest into the next generation. These programs were supported by 17 CU student interns and 7 graduate students who serve as near-peer mentors and STEM role models.

The BRAIN-STEM program (Building Rural Aspirations in Neuroscience with STEM) at Clarkson University supports educators and students through hands-on learning in science, health, and education and is supported by a $1.32M Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As part of the program, teachers participate in a two-day professional development workshop focused on metacognition techniques-strategies that help students understand how they learn, think, and solve problems. These tools are designed to benefit students throughout the school year and beyond, strengthening learning and encouraging students to become more active, independent thinkers.

The week-long BRAIN-STEM Summer Camp gave students the opportunity to dive into the science of concussion through engaging activities, lab experiences, and real-world applications. Students explore how concussions affect the brain, from injury mechanisms and brain anatomy to cellular changes, symptoms, assessment, and intervention. Through self-driven investigation and collaboration with real-world professionals, campers connect complex scientific concepts to healthcare and discover the many ways science can make a difference in people's lives.

This summer marked Clarkson's twenty-first Roller Coaster Engineering Camp, attended by roughly 70 students from eight schools. Middle schoolers engaged in data-driven game design and built claw machines strategically made to be fun yet profitable. High schoolers learned how to build a safe but thrilling roller coaster through a series of hands-on experiments. The week culminated in a trip to Great Escape in Queensbury so students could see their ideas in action. This camp has been supported by a New York State Education Department STEP grant since 2006.

Clarkson's NYSERDA-sponsored Home Energy Career Pathways program, known as CU Heat, hosted two professional training sessions this summer, training nearly 20 individuals as weatherization technicians. The first training in home weatherization was held in July at SUNY Canton and a second training was held in Hogansburg in August. Individuals who attended received in-class instruction from CU Heat Project Manager Alex French as well as ten hours of on-site job training with local contractors specializing in home energy auditing, weatherization practices, and heating system installation.

CU Heat training in home energy auditing, weatherization, and heating system installation are free and open to anyone over the age of 16. Participants receive a $500 stipend upon successful completion of either online or in-person coursework as well as ten hours of on-site job training with certified contractors. In addition, CU Heat will continue its in-person training in heating systems technology this fall at Franklin-Essex BOCES in Salmon River. CU Heat will also begin offering in-person training this fall at St. Lawrence -Lewis BOCES Northwest Technical Education Center in Ogdensburg. For more information and to register for CU Heat training, visit https://sites.clarkson.edu/cuheat.

As part of the Help Yourself Program, Clarkson University partnered with the Norwood-Norfolk Central School District to provide approximately 20 students with a weeklong, hands-on STEM summer experience led by two Clarkson undergraduate students. Participants explored science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics through engaging challenges such as egg-drop engineering, scientific art, roller coaster and tower construction, paper airplane design, and a culminating "Mission to Mars" activity featuring Mars rovers, landing systems, and rocket launches. Throughout the week, students practiced teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and the engineering design process to design solutions to real-world challenges.

All of the above programs have continued activities during the academic year.

Together these programs demonstrate how Clarkson's Institute for STEM Education connects the University's expertise with the needs of students, educators, and communities across the region.