By: JENNIFER BOGDAN – Observer-Dispatch
Planned SUNYIT center prompts plans from area districts
As plans progress for a Computer Chip Commercialization Center in the area, Whitesboro Central School District officials are working on developing a nanotechnology course at the high school.
About two years ago, the district created a committee to look at the possibilities of developing a nanoscience curriculum. Then in June, state officials announced a proposal to build a $45 million center at SUNYIT in Marcy.
District officials said they now have a renewed sense that they were on the right track and want to forge ahead with integrating nanotechnology into their school.
“This is going to be a big part of our future in New York state,” Whitesboro Central School District Superintendent David Langone said. “We want to expose students to the principles of nanotechnology at an early age to stir interest. Anything we can do to create opportunities for students to stay in the area after they graduate will be positive.”
Langone said in the coming year, the district will consider how the course would be run and whether it should be offered as a 20-week or 40-week elective. But he said he’s unsure of when the course could be put in place.
Tim Dunn, vice president of marketing and business development for Mohawk Valley EDGE, said schools getting a head start looking at the possibilities for nanotechnology with younger students are headed in the right direction.
“What we’ve learned in dealing with high-tech companies is that as important as site and incentives are, certainly education and work force development are just as important,” Dunn said. “One of the reasons our region is so attractive to the semiconductor industry is the presence of a high-tech work force. The earlier that’s cultivated the better.”
Planning for future
Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES Superintendent Howard Mettelman said Whitesboro stands out for its efforts with nanotechnology, and stressed that he believes the field will play a large role in shaping curriculums across many local districts.
Last week, Mettelman coordinated a nanotechnology briefing from EDGE for district officials throughout the BOCES region.
The goal was to help officials understand the basics of the industry and get districts thinking about strategic planning for integrating the concepts into schools, Mettelman said.
“Some schools will be positioned to offer programs from modified current areas like science, math, engineering and technology, and others might consider more broad resources,” Mettelman said. “We also want to keep a broad enough brush so we don’t eliminate students who are more drawn to other areas.”
Some students more interested in subjects such as English might end up being good candidates for technical writing jobs, Mettelman said.
New Hartford Central School District Superintendent Robert Nole, who attended the briefing, said he’s excited about the prospects of incorporating nanotechnology with younger students.
He noted that the district’s capital project, which will provide new science classrooms, could fit well with the timing of the SUNYIT announcement and the new excitement around the field.
“We want to make a decision on how to proceed that benefits everyone,” Nole said. “We’re in the process of evaluating what we know about the concept, and hopefully we’ll be able to contribute.”
Whitesboro’s goals
Whitesboro has additional plans to promote nanotechnology in the district in the coming years.
Officials said they’re considering introducing technology concepts at the middle school level that would lay the groundwork for a future interest in the field. They’re also looking at integrating nanotechnology concepts into classes such as biology, physics and chemistry, Langone said.
This year, the district also plans to send a cohort of students, teachers and administrators to tour the University at Albany College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, which will partner with the SUNYIT site.
In past years in conjunction with Whitesboro’s nanotechnology initiative, similar cohorts have toured other technology-based institutions such as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Rochester Institute of Technology, Langone said.
Although officials said many jobs at the Marcy site are likely to require significant higher education, Dunn said if the industry grows across the Mohawk Valley as many expect, more technician jobs could arise within the area’s industry that would only require associate’s degrees or high school education.
“I don’t want anyone thinking they have to create a program tomorrow because it’s going to depend on factors within the individual school districts,” said Dunn, who presented the nanotechnology briefing to district officials. “What they do need to do is be ready for this wave. It’s no longer something on the far out horizon; it’s here today.”