UALR’s Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT) is one of 25 sites selected to host the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp in 2011.

This year’s camp will be from July 10 to 22. Students can apply through the Harris Foundation. This is the third year in a row for UALR to host the camp.

The program offers a free two-week residential camps hosted at colleges and universities across the nation for promising middle school grade level students to enhance their proficiency in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

“We are pleased to have been selected for the third consecutive year to host 48 Arkansas middle-school students on campus at UALR,” said Vernard W. Henley, EIT Director of Recruiting and Outreach. “It is critical that more young Arkansans become interested in STEM subjects to brighten their future and the future of our state.”

UALR hosts 24 girls and 24 boys each summer. They live on campus for the two-week camp and attend classes (biology, chemistry, English, math, technology, and engineering design) and participate in hands-on lab activities, conduct research, and work on projects designed to develop critical thinking skills with educators certified in their respective subject areas.

The campers submit applications and are selected based on their grades, standardized test scores, and teacher recommendations.

Harris, the first African American to walk in space, is founder and president of the Harris Foundation and is on the board of directors for the National Math and Science Initiative dedicated to improving science and math performance among American students.