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High School Students to Explore Social Sciences at SUNY Potsdam

SUNY Potsdam Hosts 200+ Students from Across the Region for Day Exploring Social Science Fields and Careers

Potsdam, NY (10/06/2023) — SUNY Potsdam is set to host more than 200 North Country high school students for a daylong Social Studies Field Trip Day on Wednesday, Oct. 18.

Students will get the chance to choose from engaging activities, learning from faculty and students in SUNY Potsdam's programs across the social sciences and humanities. Students from Colton-Pierrepont, Edwards-Knox, Malone, Massena and Norwood-Norfolk high schools will be in attendance.

The goal of the unique field trip is to expose young people to fascinating topics and opportunities in the social science fields, working in the College's classrooms and laboratories alongside faculty and current students.

"We are expanding our scope with our field trip opportunities for local high schools, in order to redouble our efforts to showcase our strong departments that have really interesting areas of study which also prepare students for the modern labor market," said event organizer Dr. Geoffrey Clark, a professor of history. "In the next few decades, we need to be nimble in the broader educational environment to prepare students for careers that will be ever-changing, so they are prepared for the needs of a globalizing economy."

Participants can choose from 12 different immersive sessions, including exploring Egyptian hieroglyphs, the psychology of relationships, the witchcraft trials of 1650 Massachusetts, visual sociology, Japanese history through manga and anime, cryptography and decryption, quill writing, cooking with fire at the HEARTH, political dialogue, anthropological intelligence, natural resource protection, and even a sociological discussion on surviving a hypothetical zombie apocalypse.

A free pizza lunch will be provided to all participants in the Barrington Student Union. There will be a discussion about careers in the social sciences and humanities, led by School of Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. Shiho Imai.

The daylong visit is just one of several educational outreach events that SUNY Potsdam faculty and staff have developed over the past year. The College also hosts teacher professional development workshops for area K-12 educators, in addition to supporting ongoing field trip opportunities, such as an upcoming Careers in STEM Day, to introduce young people to a range of fields of study and advanced facilities firsthand.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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Media Attachments

Dr. Hadley Kruczek-Aaron (pictured) will lead a workshop with Dr. Tim Messner during a Social Studies Field Trip Day at SUNY Potsdam. The anthropology faculty members will present on historic recipes, ingredients and cooking technology at the College’s new HEARTH facility, which features a working fireplace and wood-fired bread oven.

SUNY Potsdam Associate Professor of History Dr. Steven Stannish will lead a discussion about Egyptian hieroglyphs, and offer visiting high school students a chance to write their own names with glyphs.

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