ALBANY, N.Y. – SEFCU has pledged $340,000 to help create a program aimed at teaching eighth grade girls in the city of Albany the emerging science of nanotechnology, the study of manipulating matter.
The cost of the five-year program, developed by the University of Albany’s NanoCollege and CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex, is $800,000. SEFCU, the one-time State Employees FCU, has committed to provide $340,000 to fund this first-of-its-kind initiative with the initial cohort of 30 girls, all of whom will be entering eighth grade this fall. Over the next five years, the Girls Inc. Eureka! program at CNSE will provide as many as 150 girls – at no cost – with a path to careers and post-secondary education in nanoscience, nanoengineering and nanobioscience. CNSE will complement the SEFCU funding with $460,000 from its corporate funding sources.
“The Capital Region is recognized as a hub for scientific research and developing groundbreaking work in nanosciences, but children in our area, and specifically girls, still lag behind in the studies of science, technology, education, and math,” said Michael Castellana, president of the $3 billion credit union.
In addition to financial support, SEFCU will follow these girls as they participate in Eureka! and provide wrap-around programs related to leadership development, workforce preparation, financial literacy, and service to the community.
