Investing in America’s Youth

Forty years ago on July 29, I sat before our little black and white television watching an event that changed the world…the landing on the moon.  As Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the lunar surface, I was thirteen years old.  My eyes were glued to the television, as were millions of others in this country and around the world.  I was just like every kid that day…I wanted to be an astronaut!

 

Since that time, I have been blessed to have fulfilled that childhood dream.  As of this writing, I have flown two Space Shuttle missions and served as a mission specialist, crew medical officer, payload commander and walked in space!

 

My mission during my tenure at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was to follow orders as a member of the United States Astronaut Corp while, at the same time, accomplish my dream.  My new mission now as a civilian is to ensure that the youth of America have the same opportunity to follow theirs.

 

While in the Astronaut Corp one of our duties was to step out of the agency and spread the word about the space program and its impact on our nation.  This job resulted in a great deal of travel throughout this country, into the inner cities and rural areas, into public and private institutions, into homes and conventions alike.  From this vantage point, I had the chance to see this country from the ground up.

 

In 1998, I founded The Harris Foundation to focus on creating K-12 programs to support the development of young people and their families. Our flagship program is the Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp, which gives approximately 50 promising middle level students the opportunity to enhance their proficiency in mathematics and science.  Students live in dormitories on campus and attend daily educational experiences in science, engineering, mathematics and technology.  Activities include classroom study, experiments, individual and team projects, field excursions and guest speakers who motivate the students into fulfilling their dreams. Students are team-taught by educators from area school districts, as well as university faculty.  In addition, the students live on campus, where college students are utilized as Junior Camp Counselors, providing them with the ultimate college experience.  Emphasis is placed on communication, critical thinking skills and teamwork.  The camps are held during the months of June-August and students attend the camp free of charge.

 

With the support from the ExxonMobil Foundation, we have been able to expand the program from two camps at the University of Houston and Southwest Oklahoma State University to 30 camps throughout the nation. Now called the “ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp”, we are positively impacting the lives of over 1500 middle school students each year.  I try to make a personal appearance to each camp. This summer I visited 25 out of the 30 camp. I would visit them all but I cannot physically be in two places at the same time. It is from this experience that I make the following observations about our youth and education in this country.

 

First, America needs to wake up to the realization that we are no longer the only leaders in the world.  We are out manned (out peopled) by a number of other countries such as China and India in respect to the number of scientist and engineers that we produce. In 2004, according the Nation Academies statistics; the U.S. produced approximately 70,000 engineers a year vs. 350,000 from India and 600,000 from China.  Even given the Duke University testimony to Congress' Committee on Education and the Workforce regarding the exact numbers produced by each nation, we still have a problem. (1)  That is, in order to keep the United States competitive with the rest of the world we must do a better job with the graduation rates from high school and college. And make sure that the skill level of the United States youth can meet the needs of this country and the world.

 

Second, a country’s innovation and invention are driven by the knowledge and expertise of its people. In order to generate new ideas, there must be the educational foundation to develop them. According to the United States Patent Office, in 2008, 50% of the patents issued in the United States where from foreign countries as compared to 37% in 1978. (2)  We will lose our ability to create new and novel technologies if our workforce is lacking basic mathematics and science education.

 

Third, we have lost our creative edge…the motivation for discovery.  Many of our children have become complacent, idle, unable and unwilling to do what it takes to achieve in life.  The question is…Why?  I do not have all the answers but I am convinced that our desire for immediate gratification is a significant part the equation. We must instill in our young people the value of work in achieving dreams…the rewards are great!

 

The question that should be asked now is; how do we change things? How do we change the mindset of our youth from being fed to becoming acquirers of knowledge: from being led by technologies (via video games, internet) to becoming leaders of technological advances; from being passive to becoming active participants in their personal growth.

 

Despite these facts, as I travel the country meeting this new generation of kids, I am encouraged by what I see.  That is, many highly motivated youngsters who desire to learn.  They simply need guidance and nurturing.  When I look into the eyes of these young people, I see hope for this nation.  They are like seeds waiting to germinate, given the right amount of encouragement and time from those of us who are willing to invest in them.

 

If we do not make this investment now, we will lose in the future.  Each time that a child’s dream goes unfulfilled, it is not only a lost to them but to this nation.  We lose the intellectual brainpower of that individual and their collective contribution for us all. I am about encouraging dreams and empowering individuals through education…particularly education in math and science.

 

When we do this, we are in fact changing the direction of this country. The result will transform this nation: from consumers to innovators…from gamers to creators…from outsourcers to resourcers…giving us the power to prosper!

 

Investing in America begins at home with our day to day interactions with our children, creating an environment of learning, and ends with the economic prosperity of this great nation.  My extraterrestrial mission took me to edge of our world… and my terrestrial mission is to ensure that America remains strong. 

 

References:

(1) http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=175004479

(2) http://www.uspto.gov/go/stats/reports.htm

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