Albany, NY — SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) has announced a set of exciting nanosciences-inspired programs that will enable girls at two Capital Region schools to gain firsthand experience with the scientific concepts behind nanotechnology as they take part in the national celebration of “NanoDays 2017.”

“SUNY Poly is excited to lead national ‘Nanodays’ 2017 events in our region, with faculty and staff members visiting two area schools to inspire girls to explore the science that is driving many superb high-tech opportunities here and around New York State,” said Dr. Bahgat Sammakia, SUNY Poly Interim President. “By engaging these girls in the science that is powering technological progress, SUNY Poly is proud to encourage them and others to pursue the nano-centered educational and career opportunities that are increasingly available to them.”

The two “NanoDays” 2017 educational events led by SUNY Poly are taking place Tuesday, March 28 and Thursday, March 30 at Brighter Choice Charter Elementary School for Girls and Albany Leadership Charter High School for Girls, respectively. This year, SUNY Poly volunteers focused on providing an opportunity for 60 girls to take part in the activities because women are often underrepresented in scientific careers.

During each event, SUNY Poly faculty and staff members will introduce the students to engaging experiments and demonstrations, featuring invisible marbles and nano sand, crickets powered by solar energy, polymer “snow,” and conductive dough, among other activities that showcase the nanosciences, which offer a world of intriguing possibilities that could lead to more robust technologies and more efficient clean energy capabilities, for instance.

National “NanoDays” 2017 is part of a focused national effort to increase awareness and understanding of the growing nanotechnology-related area of science and is held during a designated week in late March or Early April. Organized by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net), “NanoDays” 2017 features events that are planned to take place at science museums, research centers, and universities across the country, from Puerto Rico to Hawaii, reaching an estimated 1 million people.

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SUNY Polytechnic Institute. SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and over 300 corporate partners. For information visit www.sunycnse.com and www.sunypoly.edu.