Editor’s Note: An open house/media day is scheduled for 8 a.m. to noon Friday, June 19 in Osborne Science and Engineering Room A327 Students will demonstrate handmade Mars landing crafts. Reporters and photographers are welcome to attend.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – More than 40 middle school students will strengthen their science, technology, engineering and math skills by planning the colonization of Mars during the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.
From June 15-25, the students will live at UCCS and use household materials to create spacecraft and participate in a space-themed competition, the Mars Landing Challenge. The competition was inspired by camp founder and veteran astronaut Bernard Harris, Jr., the first African-American to walk in space. He completed two shuttle missions.
“We have focused on Mars, not just because it’s a challenge but because there is a strong local tie,” Kathleen Fitzpatrick, programs manager, Center for STEM Education, said. “Portions of Project Orion, NASA’s newest space exploration craft, and the MAVEN mission were built in Colorado by the major aerospace companies that operate here.”
The students selected for the camp are evenly divided between girls and boys. All come from underrepresented groups, have at least a “B” average in sixth, seventh or eighth grade, score at the median or better in standardized tests, have an interest in science and math and completed a 250 word essay.
This is the third year that UCCS has participated in the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camps.
The camp focuses on teamwork and hands-on activities such as creating rockets, measuring roller coaster G-forces, designing Martian habitats and producing 3-D printed parts using specially designed software. Additionally, the students will travel to Garden of the Gods to see math and science at work.
The students are taught by university faculty and secondary school teachers who combine hands-on experiences with lessons. The students will also be visited by an ExxonMobil engineer and NASA educator April Lanotte, master teacher, UCCSTeach.
The camps are no charge for the students or their families. Costs are covered by ExxonMobil Foundation and the Harris Foundation.
“UCCS Center for STEM Education is honored to get a chance to influence these students’ future academic and career choices and to have an effect on their self-esteem in a way that has a deep and meaningful impact on the rest of their lives,” Fitzpatrick, said. “They will come away from this experience forever changed.”
Creating an interest in young people to pursue careers in science, technology, math and engineering is a priority for Fitzpatrick and others at UCCS. The demand for workers in STEM areas is high and is expected to increase in the next decade. The U.S. Department of Labor anticipates a demand for more than 250,000 engineering positions in 10 years.
“The Bernard Harris camp program is a key avenue for students to experience STEM fields at an early age,” said Suzanne McCarron, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation. “Inspiring today’s youth to develop an interest – and ultimately pursue careers – in math, science and engineering is critical to ensuring the next generation of leaders is armed with innovative skills to address the challenges of the 21st century.”
About the Sponsors
Founded in 1998, The Harris Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Houston whose overall mission is to invest in community-based initiatives to support education, health and
The Education Mission of the Harris Foundation is to enable youth to develop and achieve their full potential through the support of social, recreational, and educational programs. The Harris Foundation believes that students can be prepared now for the careers of the future through a structured education program and the use of positive role models. More than 15,000 students annually participate and benefit from THF programs. For more information, visit www.theharrisfoundation.org
The ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation in the United States. The foundation and the corporation engage in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, health and science in the communities where ExxonMobil has significant operations.
In the United States, ExxonMobil supports initiatives to improve math and science education at the K-12 and higher education levels. In 2014, together with its employees and retirees, Exxon Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, and the ExxonMobil Foundation provided $279 million in contributions worldwide. For more information, visit www.exxonmobil.com/community
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest growing universities in Colorado. The University offers 37 bachelor’s degrees, 20 master’s and five doctoral degrees. UCCS enrolls about 11,000 students on campus annually and another 2,000 in online programs. For more information, visit www.uccs.edu.