Nano for Kids > Girls Inc. Eureka!®

The Girls Inc. Eureka!® program at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), the first in the nation with a focus on nanotechnology, is part of the critical effort to encourage young women to pursue a growing number of educational and career opportunities in the field of nanotechnology. Designed to engage underserved populations within the City of Albany, the program began in July 2012 with an initial cohort of 30 girls, all of whom will be entering the 8th grade. Over the next five years, the program will provide as many as 150 girls – at no cost – with a path to exciting careers and post-secondary education in nanoscience, nanoengineering and nanobioscience.

View photos from the program

Click on the photo above to watch a video from the program announcement

The first two years of the Girls Inc. Eureka!® program at CNSE feature an intensive summer camp experience, with hands-on nanoscale education at CNSE’s Albany NanoTech Complex and weekly field trips focused on the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In years three through five, girls will participate in paid internships with local businesses and organizations. Additional support is provided through continuing education during each school year and ongoing assessment throughout the program.

The cost of the five-year program is $800,000. SEFCU has committed to provide $340,000 to fund this program and CNSE is complementing the SEFCU funding with $460,000 from its corporate funding sources.

In addition to financial support, SEFCU is following these girls as they participate in Eureka!® and providing wrap-around programs related to leadership development, workforce preparation, financial literacy, and service to the community. Toward this end, SEFCU encourages Eureka!® program participants to partner with SEFCU in furthering our community purpose by actively participating in some of the many community service volunteer activities that encourage good citizenship and a sense of community responsibility.

For additional information or questions, please call (518) 374-9800 or email Eureka@gcr.girls-inc.org with the subject “Eureka! Question.”