YOUTHS MARKET ADIRONDACKS

POTSDAM — Fifteen high school students have been taking a crack at a regional problem while they get a taste of college life at Clarkson University this week.

Participants in Clarkson’s annual Young Scholars program are spending the week trying to brand and market the Adirondack Park to attract more regional entrepreneurs. Offered through The Clarkson School, a yearlong early college program for exceptional high school students, the Young Scholars program focuses on simulating a week at a university and presenting a chance to strengthen problem-solving and communication skills.

For 16-year-old Samer M. Akiki, whose grandfather lived in the Adirondacks for more than 60 years, his research led him to realize there are not enough job opportunities in the region to keep people from leaving. He and his fellow scholars will be addressing this and related issues in their marketing plans, which they will present on Saturday, the final day of the program.

“Your average people want to stay in the Adirondacks,” said Mr. Akiki, who lives in San Diego, Calif., and is considering attending Clarkson. “We tried to figure out strengths and weaknesses of the parks and see if even the weaknesses could be transformed into strengths.”

Established about 20 years ago as Clarkson’s High School of Excellence summer camp, the Young Scholars program underwent a name change and expansion about five years ago. In years past, the program gave students a chance to tackle a variety of engineering and science-based problems, but this summer it has featured a more entrepreneurial challenge.

In addition to classroom work this week, the students visited Blue Mountain Lake’s Adirondack Museum to learn more about the region and surveyed business owners in Saranac Lake to accumulate research for their rebranding efforts. They also engaged in team-building exercises, participated in interactive discussions about entrepreneurship and attended presentations by guest speakers.

“They have an opportunity to make an impact because it is a real problem, so it gives them that sense of accomplishment. It’s also an opportunity for them to learn more about college, majors and what Clarkson has to offer,” said Brenda R. Kozsan, the Young Scholars program director. “It makes it more credible for the students to know what they’re working on throughout the week has a real impact.”

Although the students have been living at the college this week, several of them will find the experience a particularly accurate simulation of upcoming university years. Two of this year’s Young Scholars are planning to attend Clarkson University as freshmen this fall, while three more will be enrolling in the Clarkson School.

“I saw it as an opportunity to broaden my knowledge in business and marketing and also to help find a solution to benefit the Adirondack Park,” said Jaclyn M. Orcutt, a Herkimer native who will be an innovation and entrepreneurship major in the fall. “I’ve learned what small businesses have to go through and what their strengths are in the region.”