Twenty-four students entering 8th grade in September will get a firsthand look at the technologies and careers in the Tech Valley region at Tech Valley Summer Camp, July 14-18. In its fifth year, the camp is a joint initiative of Questar III and Capital Region BOCES.

This year’s campers represent the following school districts: Albany, Berlin, Brittonkill, Burnt Hills, Chatham, Cohoes, Coxsackie-Athens, Duanesburg, Green Island, Greenville, Guilderland, Hoosick Valley, Ichabod Crane, Lansingburgh, North Colonie, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, Schodack, Schoharie, Scotia-Glenville, South Colonie, Taconic Hills, Voorheesville, and Wyantskill.

Each day of camp will be hosted by a different site partnering with the camp. This year, students will work along side professionals at the University at Albany College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), Vicarious Visions, Total Facility Solutions and M+W Zander and the GEN*NY*SIS Cancer Research Center.

Tech Camp provides students with a taste of project-based learning that they might not otherwise experience in the classroom. Students discover math, science and technology and develop their 21st century skills (critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and leadership) by working on-site with the area’s leading scientists, researchers and business people.

Middle school teachers and camp counselors Tom Michalek of Bethlehem Central School District, Sarah Hurley of Rensselaer City School District, Sophia Cotzas of East Greenbush Central School District, Questar III New Visions teachers Tammie Borland (also camp coordinator) and Ruth Russell are working closely with these professionals to create an environment that engages students and captivates their interest through hands-on activities and team participation.

This year’s activities include:

• video game creation
• facility and lab tours
• using the power of biology to solve crimes
• gowning up in “bunny suits” worn in high-tech cleanrooms
• exploring the world of polymers and building a take-home polymer chain and
• creating team blogs based on what they learned throughout the week and presenting those blogs on the final day of camp.

Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of CNSE, said, “It is a pleasure for the UAlbany NanoCollege to host the students participating in this year’s Tech Valley Summer Camp, which provides a wonderful window into exciting careers in science and technology. We are especially pleased to offer the students a firsthand look at the emerging field of nanotechnology, which holds the key to new discoveries that will revolutionize health care, energy, information technology and so many other areas critical to their future.”

In addition to the site partners, Capital Communications Federal Credit Union, Hannaford Supermarkets, Tech Valley High School and IntelliSites are pleased to continue their support of Tech Camp.

Calling Tech Valley Summer Camp a “phenomenal experience,” Capital Communications Federal Credit Union President and CEO Paula Stopera said, “The children that attend this unique opportunity are some of the most inspired and determined young people I have had the opportunity to meet. Providing an opportunity to learn in a non-traditional manner is very exciting to see. As businesses we all need to take an interest in programs like this and make them available to as many children as possible in order to fuel the next generation of our workforce in the Capital Region."

For more information about the camp, including a list of the student campers, please visit the Tech Valley Summer Camp Web site at www.techvalleycamp.org.