POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam hosted its 29th annual Math and Science Camp this summer, as part of the North Country Science and Technology Entry Program outreach initiative. The camp took place from July 3 to July 8.

Thirty area middle-school students participated in the camp, which is funded through a grant from the New York State Department of Education. The grant focuses on increasing the number of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students prepared to enter college, and to improve their participation rate in STEM and health-related fields, as well as the licensed professions.

Students from Salmon River, Massena, Madrid-Waddington and Parishville-Hopkinton central schools participated in this week-long, residential camp.

While at camp, students stayed in a dorm room, ate their meals at the dining hall and worked daily in the classrooms and labs, much like they will when they attend college in a few years.

Classes in math, forensics and robotics were held every morning. In math, students worked on skills to help in problem solving; each lesson dealt with being creative in applying mathematical ideas to come up with solutions to problems. In forensics class, students learned about how science helps investigators solve crimes. They studied fingerprints, blood spatter, bullet trajectory and entomology, which are all used as scientific tools in the field of forensics. In robotics, students worked in pairs to design, build and program their own robots. They tested their work against one another as they battled to win robotic competitions at the end of the week.

In the afternoon and evening, campers participated in enrichment and recreational activities. There was an admissions presentation and campus tour, a computer coding lab, a Bristlebots engineering competition and an "Amazing Race" activity to learn more about SUNY Potsdam's campus. Recreational activities included swimming, a campfire, canoeing, kayaking, a hike up Azure Mountain and painting with artist Wilson Bickford, as well as group visits to the Roxy Theater, Market Lanes and Postwood Beach.

The culminating activity held on the last day of camp included a student showcase and family barbecue luncheon. At the showcase, students escorted their parents and siblings around to various display tables that held examples of what they had been working on during camp. A final robotics competition was also held for those teams that made it through the preliminary rounds the day before.

In addition to this summer component, the NCSTEP program at SUNY Potsdam also provides services during the school year. These include math and science enrichment opportunities, career awareness activities, internship and research guidance, study skills workshops, counseling, tutoring, field trips, cultural activities and mentoring, as well as post-secondary preparation (including assistance with financial aid, college applications, SAT/ACT preparation and waivers and planning for college visits).