·
Houston’s
own Dr. Bernard
Harris, to speak to 10,000 middle school students from six area school
districts
·
The Dream Tour provides an
out-of-this-world experience and encourages students to reach for the stars
·
Sponsored
by ExxonMobil, national tour highlights
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Houston –
Houston-based former U.S. Astronaut Dr. Bernard A. Harris,
Jr. will give almost 10,000 Houston-area students a first-hand experience
with the wonders of science, technology, engineering and math during a
high-tech, high-energy performance at the Toyota Center on Monday Dec. 14. The event, the final stop of the 2009 “Dream Tour, presented by ExxonMobil,” will feature appearances from
local athletes, ExxonMobil engineers, and upbeat performances from local
artists all focused on encouraging students to pursue careers in math and
science.
Students from the Alief,
Aldine, Fort Bend, Houston and North Forest school districts will join Dr.
Harris for the two-hour program. The tour, which has visited nine other U.S.
cities in 2009, is designed to encourage middle school students to realize
their potential and strive to acquire strong math and science skills.
“When I was
growing up, I dreamed of traveling in space. Education enabled my dream and now
I would like to encourage students to follow their dreams by pursuing careers
in math and science,” Dr. Harris said.
“America’s students have incredible opportunities. The Dream Tour is one
way to open their eyes to the limitless possibilities they have, as long as
math and science education is part of the equation. This stop of the tour will be the culmination of years of
hard work, and it is a tremendous way to give back to the Houston area and
invest in our future.”
“ExxonMobil is
focused on the need to attract more of America’s students to pursue careers in
math and science,” said Gerald McElvy, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation. “This starts with taking higher level
math and science courses in middle school and high school. The classes they
choose today can make or break their options for the future, and ‘The Dream
Tour, presented by ExxonMobil,’ is one way to highlight those career
possibilities.”
For more
information about The Dream Tour or Dr. Harris, please visit www.daring2dream.org.
About ExxonMobil Foundation
ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary
philanthropic arm of the 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.
Globally, ExxonMobil provides
funding to improve basic education and combat malaria and other infectious
diseases in developing countries.
In 2008, together with its employees and retirees, Exxon Mobil
Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, and ExxonMobil Foundation provided
$225 million in contributions worldwide, of which more than $89 million was
dedicated to education. Additional
information on ExxonMobil’s community partnerships and contributions programs
is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community.
About
The Harris Foundation
Founded
in 1998, The Harris Foundation is a 501 (c) (3), non-profit organization based
in Houston, Texas, whose overall mission is to invest in community-based
initiatives to support education, health and wealth. The foundation supports
programs that empower individuals, in particular minorities and economically
and/or socially disadvantaged, to recognize their potential and pursue their
dreams. 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 for grades K-12. The foundation
encourages math and science education, motivates youth to stay in school,
fosters youth leadership and citizenship, as well as instills the values of
responsibility, fairness and respect.
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 10,000 K-12
students participate and benefit from THF programs annually. www.theharrisfoundation.org
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Contacts
For ExxonMobil Donald J. Claxton or Jillian Fleming,
214.373.1601