If your children are aspiring scientists and engineers and want get a head start in their future careers learning from professionals and a former astronaut, apply to attend the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp program.
One thousand middle-school students will be selected to attend one of 20 camps held at universities across the country, where they will be immersed in hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning.
In this year's summer camp, attendees will be mentored by Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr., the first African-American to walk in space and camp founder. The program is supported by the ExxonMobil Foundation and some of the activities children will e involved with ranger from building models of bridges to designing robots and creating spacesuits.
"Students see first-hand engineering, science, technology and math come alive through real-world applications," said Harris.
Students will have the opportunity to live on campus and participate in interactive, inquiry-based classes taught by university faculty, secondary teachers and other professionals. Campers will also visit local museums, nature centers and ecosystems.
What's more, participants will get to talk with local professionals about rewarding career options in STEM fields.
To this day, more than 8,700 students have participated in the camp, and the program hopes that the majority of those participants will pursue higher education in STEM-related careers.
Eligible applicants must be entering sixth, seventh or eighth grades in the fall of 2014. Additional information regarding application requirements and camp-specific submission instructions are available at www.theharrisfoundation.org.
