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With a new year underway, I would like to take this moment to reflect upon the successes that 2015 brought us here at The Harris Foundation. Our education, health and wealth programs continued to reach new milestones and venture into new territories promising substantial growth in 2016.
The foundation's flagship education program, the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp (EMBHSSC) was happily "Celebrating a Decade of Promoting STEM Academic Achievement" in 2015. Our EMBHSSCs offer unique hands-on educational experiences to campers while giving them the opportunity to expand their minds and career horizons. With an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, we expose our campers to the infinite possibilities STEM education has to offer. During its tenth year, the EMBHSSC reached over 930 middle school students who attended one of our two-week residential camps held at twenty of America's finest university and college campuses. In just a few weeks, we will be making the official announcement of our 2016 EMBHSSC sites. So stay tuned and check back on our website to see if there will be a camp hosted near you!
Our STEM Centers of Academic Excellence™ (STEM-CAE) program saw monumental growth as well. STEM-CAE are educational institutions that host Harris Foundation programs designed to enhance the academic success of youth in STEM through innovative STEM-based activities. These centers offer project-based inquiry learning experiences that engage learners in the knowledge, understanding and application of STEM concept principles. Last summer, the program acted as a STEM enrichment course in eighteen (18) schools conducting summer school sessions in the Houston Independent School District. The program was administered in two cycles, each completed within a four-week period. The 5th - 9th grade students who participated in the program enjoyed a hands-on educational experience in the areas of environmental science, engineering and food science as well as character development. The students were also treated to an outdoor field excursion to The Hill at Sims Greenway, an awe inspiring nature habitat that allowed the students to experience the science lessons up close and personal in a nature outdoor classroom.
In 2015, our Dare to Dream (DTD) celebrated its 20th anniversary working with schools in Harris County, Texas. During the 2015-2016 school year, DTD has a presence in ten Houston area schools; providing students with a curriculum focusing on self-improvement, crime prevention, community service and the college and career building skills necessary to become a productive member of society. We are grateful for our partnerships with the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, Communities in Schools, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Houston office and the Houston and Alief Independent School Districts for helping us fulfill the mission of the DTD program. We are proud that the program continues to garner the attention and support that it has over the past twenty years. A new partnership with the Houston area Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also offered our students the opportunity to participate in the DEA's Red Ribbon Rally during its annual Red Ribbon Week campaign. The awareness campaign offers a great opportunity for parents, teachers, educators, and community organizations to engage in drug abuse prevention efforts.
In health, Innovative Medical Missions (IMM), our newest health initiative promoting the innovative use of medical technologies in support of philanthropic healthcare missions worldwide, offered much needed healthcare to remote regions of the world. The LifeBot 5, a groundbreaking telemedicine device designed to provide technological support to healthcare teams in even the most challenging environments, was used to pilot our first mission. The LifeBot 5 served as a link to remote surgical support at the University of Miami (FL) and as an intraoperative anesthesia monitor while in Peru. The data collected by the LifeBot 5 will support future missions with other innovative medical technologies.
As always, we thank you for your support and look forward to bringing you more great news in 2016. Please follow us on social media via the links below to stay up to date on all the latest endeavors from The Harris Foundation.
Bernard A. Harris, Jr.
President and Founder
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| October 2015 - January 2016 Highlights in... |
| EDUCATION: Dare to Dream students play detective during the end-of-year FBI/Crime Scene Investigation field trip Read all about it and view photos here
Dare to Dream students attend the DEA's annual Red Ribbon Rally at Houston City Hall Click here to view photos
Dare to Dream welcomes its new program director, Andrea Mosley To read more, click here
ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp welcomes its new program director, Corlis Taylor Simmons To read more, click here
Apply Now! 2016 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarships available High School Seniors, click here to apply
* * * * * HEALTH: Innovative Medical Missions reach new territory with the LifeBot5 Click here to read more
WEALTH:
Financial Success: A look back at the RockIt! 2015 Summer Award Ceremony
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| THF IN THE NEWS |
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In Celebration of Black History Month: Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr., the "First African American to Walk in Space" Has Down to Earth Goals for Foundation
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| UPCOMING EVENTS |
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February 25, 2016
Communities In Schools honors Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr. and the Dare to Dream program
Houston, Texas
Late February/March 2016
Check website for 2016 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp location announcement
Nationwide
March 24, 2016
Spring 2016 Dare to Dream FBI/Crime Scene Investigation Day
Houston, Texas
March - May 2016
Student application submission period for 2016 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp
Nationwide
June 2016
2016 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp Season Begins
Nationwide
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| About The Harris Foundation Founded in 1998 by Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr., The Harris Foundation, Inc. (THF) is a 501 (c) (3), non-profit organization based in Houston, Texas, whose mission is to invest in community-based initiatives to support education, health and wealth. THF supports programs that empower individuals, in particular minorities and others who are economically and/or socially disadvantaged, to recognize their potential and pursue their dreams. Through our interactive STEM education, health and wealth programs, we prepare students and communities for a world of infinite possibilities.
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