North Country Children's Museum, SUNY Potsdam's CLEAR & Clarkson University Honored for Unique Collaboration

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From left, Sue Manory, Erin Draper, Sharon Vegh Williams and Beth Todd. For a full caption with titles, please see the release.

POTSDAM, NY (12/05/2016)(readMedia)-- The Continuing Education Association of New York has awarded the 2016 James C. Hall Jr. Award for Outstanding Business/Organization Collaboration to the North Country Children's Museum, the Center for Lifelong Education and Recreation at SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University.

The North Country Children's Museum and the two universities were recognized for their Saturday Enrichment Programs, which create opportunities for area children to be exposed to new and meaningful educational experiences which otherwise would not be available to them. This unique collaboration brings three local organizations together to serve children, by promoting wellness and encouraging exploration and discovery.

"The North Country Children's Museum is proud to work closely with our partners, Clarkson University and the Center for Lifelong Education and Recreation at SUNY Potsdam, to make our Saturday Enrichment Programs possible. Our three-way partnership demonstrates an unparalleled spirit of teamwork within the community," said Executive Director Sharon Vegh Williams.

The museum presents the content for the weekly Saturday Enrichment Programs, while Clarkson University provides space for the events at its downtown University Bookstore, and CLEAR at SUNY Potsdam provides support for registration and marketing. In the four years since this collaboration began, the museum has featured a wide selection of topics, including robotics, theatre and astronomy.

The North Country Children's Museum currently operates as a Museum Without Walls, presenting a range of programs for children ages 13 and under, along with their families, at regional festivals throughout the summer, in addition to the Saturday Enrichment Programs. The museum hopes to occupy a physical space in historic downtown Potsdam in December 2017.

Photo caption: Partners from the three institutions recently gathered for a photo after receiving the 2016 James C. Hall Jr. Award for Outstanding Business/Organization Collaboration. They included, from left, North Country Children's Museum board member Sue Manory, Clarkson University Reh Center for Entrepreneurship Director Erin Draper, NCCM Executive Director Sharon Vegh Williams and SUNY Potsdam Director of Continuing Education Beth Todd.

About the North Country Children's Museum:

The North Country Children's Museum is a non-profit organization formed in 2011 by a group of educators with a collective vision to create a cultural and educational center for North Country families. The museum's future home will be located in historic downtown Potsdam, with a projected opening date of December 2017. For more, visit www.northcountrychildrensmuseum.org.

About Clarkson University:

Clarkson University educates the leaders of the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as an owner, CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. With its main campus located in Potsdam, N.Y., and additional graduate program and research facilities in the Capital Region and Beacon, New York, Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university with signature areas of academic excellence and research directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through more than 60 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, education, sciences and the health professions, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and innovation with enterprise. For more information, visit www.clarkson.edu.

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. As the College marks its bicentennial in 2016, SUNY Potsdam is celebrating a 200-year legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 4,100 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 leadership in the arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community recently completed Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which raised $33.5 million for scholarships and programs. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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