Project Challenge
Project Challenge, a popular program for North Country high school students offered by Clarkson University during the winter, will be offering classes on our Potsdam, NY, campus in 2025.
The program provides local students in grades 9 - 12 an opportunity to participate in classes they cannot normally find at their high school and explore their future interests and develop skills.
Project Challenge - Potsdam Campus
Five-week courses will be taught by Clarkson faculty and administrators on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. until noon, beginning in mid-January. The program is administered by The Clarkson School, our early entrance program for talented high school students who have typically completed their junior year and are ready to begin college studies.
Courses will be held on the Potsdam campus on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, on January 18, 25, February 1, 8, 15 with a snow date of February 18. To register, please contact your Guidance Counselor to complete the registration information. If you are a home-schooled student or a self-paying student, you can register online here. The deadline to register is Friday, January 10, 2025. Please note that classes do fill up quickly as most are limited to 20 students!
Please contact Brenda Kozsan, Director of The Clarkson School, at bkozsan@clarkson.edu or call 315-268-4330 with any questions.
Courses offered this year include:
Sustainability & Storytelling - Exploring Creative Environmental Communication
Instructor: Evelyn Laferriere
Climate Change and other environmental challenges are defining issues of our time, and we need to find effective methods to inspire action & positive change. This course will explore efforts to use storytelling (film, writing, interpretive programs, etc.,) to educate, change minds, and motivate action. We will discuss sustainability issues and the United Nations Sustainable Development goals. Then, we will explore projects like NRDC’s Rewrite the Future, and the use of films, books, and social media trends as environmental education and advocacy tools. In teams or individually, we will create our own sustainability stories ― you decide if you want to create a short film, social media posts, design an educational/interpretive program, or write a short story (or something else ― creativity is welcome!).
NEW! Neuroscience of Brain Injuries
Instructors: Lenn Johns, Tushar Sirsat, Brittany DiSalvo, and Heather Shattuck
We will explore how injury to each of the 5 major regions of the brain result in a wide range of clinical signs & symptoms, different levels of severity, and different timeframes of recovery. Exploration will include anatomical dissections (sheep brains), primary functions, and dysfunctions of the 5 major regions of the brain. We will then work with clinical experts in the field to understand how scientific understanding aids in forming diagnostic, treatment, and return to play/learn protocols.
NEW! How Tiny Organisms Adapt and Change in a Changing World
Instructor: Susan Bailey
Microbes like bacteria and viruses evolve quickly, which can greatly impact human health. These changes can make them more contagious, more harmful, or harder to treat with antibiotics. By understanding how evolution works, we can better prepare for these challenges. In this course, we’ll explore how microbes evolve, focusing on diseases of both historical and modern significance like COVID-19 (caused by SARS-CoV-2), influenza, and the Black Death (the bubonic plague pandemic). We will use interactive computer simulations to observe how evolution happens in different environments and learn how to analyze and compare DNA sequences to uncover clues about how microbes adapt and survive. This course will help students better understand evolution, DNA sequences, and their important role in addressing current and future public health challenges.
NEW! The Secret Life of Molecules: Exploring Chemistry in Action
Instructor: Nishi Gondhiya
Unlock the mysteries of the molecular world and discover how chemistry shapes the everyday and the extraordinary! In this course, we will explore the hidden life of molecules, from their structure and behavior to the powerful reactions they enable. Students will dive into the fascinating properties of matter, learn how molecules form the basis of life and technology, and uncover how cutting-edge innovations like nanoparticles are transforming our world. The course combines foundational concepts with real-world applications, showing how chemistry drives solutions to global challenges such as sustainability, energy efficiency, and medical advancements. Through hands-on experiments and creative projects, students will learn to think like scientists while making connections to the world around them. At the end of the course, we will design chemistry-inspired project — whether it’s a model showcasing molecular interactions, a simple invention using nanotechnology, or a creative story about molecules changing the future. Creativity and curiosity will lead the way!
NEW! Magical World of Chemistry, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and the world becomes a wonderland!
Instructor: Taniya Jayaweera
Get ready to dive into the fascinating world of chemistry and biochemistry! We’ll explore captivating topics such as Glow-in-the-Dark Chemistry, Color Changing Chemistry, Odor Chemistry, Material Chemistry, and “Fun” Chemistry. This hands-on approach combines individual experimentation with group discussions, allowing you to delve deeper into complex concepts and discover the excitement of scientific inquiry. Through hands-on experiments, investigations, and collaborations, you’ll get to know how to unlock the secrets of the world around you.
War and Pieces: Understanding World War II through Tabletop Games
Instructor: Alastair Kocho-Williams
This course will make use of tabletop games as a means of understanding of World War II as a conflict, at differing scales, and in different contexts. From games that cover the whole war, different campaigns or battles, the war on land, at sea, and in the air, or the lives and fates of the men and women who fought the war, you will gain an understanding of the war from a number of different angles. We will investigate the challenges of fighting and winning World War II, what might have been different, the resistance movements, and how games can be used as a means of understanding the war and its many aspects. Drawing on an extensive game library you will play and analyze games as a means of understanding World War II, and work to design a game of your own.
NEW! Learning to Learn at the College Level: How to make a successful transition from High School to College
Instructor: Jim Franklin with Zoey Kovach
You have hit a milestone achievement and are heading to college! Upon arrival, you find yourself overwhelmed with the new environment, making friends, managing class workloads and social activities. How to handle it all. This seminar series will provide you with a set of tools to address ways to learn at the college level and successfully manage the transition to the college environment. We will learn about time management, adapting to change, balancing social and school workloads, advocating for yourself, finding resources and building your professional brand. These transformational skills will maximize your success in college. This is an applied learning class that aims to build practical skills with group activities, labs and open discussions.