Education and Outreach

ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp

By Keith Cowing
September 30, 2011

In 2011, and for the fourth consecutive year, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was chosen as one of 25 host institutions in the United States for the 2011 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp (BHSSC). The EMBHSSC is a free, academic program of The Harris Foundation, which takes an active role in shaping education in students entering grade 6,7, or 8. The program is named after Bernard A. Harris, MD, an accomplished NASA astronaut, physician and entrepreneur; Dr. Harris, the first African American to walk in space, plays an active role in the Summer Science Camp program and other programs for underserved youths.

Science, mathematics and engineering are critical to society’s infrastructure for the 21st century and preserving that future requires an investment in our youth today. Studies have shown that the United States will face a critical shortage of engineers, scientists and other technically trained workers in the near future. To help address the nation’s math and science crisis, ExxonMobil is committed to supporting programs and organizations that focus on improving math and science education from pre-school through higher education. The ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp is designed to support historically underserved and underrepresented students with limited opportunities.

The theme of the 2011 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp at Rensselaer was “The Quest for Life”. The program was conducted in partnership with The New York Center for Astrobiology at Rensselaer, a member of the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

For more information: http://doso.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=915

Source: NAI newsletter

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻