We kicked this year off with the National Educational Forum on Capitol Hill. The Summer Science Camps are recruiting for this year's programs, the 2012 Dream Tours will begin with a visit to Pittsburgh in April and our Dare to Dream students will graduate from that program in May.

In the world of health, the Community Health Leaders team is currently in the process of selecting the 2012 RWJF-CHL recipients even as the 2011 winners continue on their amazing work of bettering the well-being of their communities.

We also have exciting ventures ahead, creating financial literacy programs for students here in Houston, and then nationally. We look forward to sharing these plans with you as they develop.

Please continue to follow the foundation and also to share with us the wonderful work you are doing. Together, we know that we'll make great strides in 2012.

EDUCATION

National Educational Forum

The Harris Foundation held a National Forum on Capitol Hill on     March 21st. With  over 70 participants, led by a fantastic STEM panel, the event was the culmination of three years of tours in 23 cities with over 800 participants. Thank you to all of our panelists for your wonderful insight: Dr. Steven Robinson, White House Domestic Policy Council; Dr. Linda Rosen, Change the Equation; Larry Harlan, ExxonMobil Foundation; Dr. Patricia Simmons, National Science Teachers Association; Yohance Maquelba, Howard University Middle School of Mathematics & Science and Sharon Bowers, Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy.

2012 EMBHSSC Locations Announced

The 2012 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp locations were announced and the directors of this year's programs convened on Houston, Texas from February 10-14 in preparation for the camps. The EMBHSSCs will offer more than 1,000 middle school students a chance to participate in interactive science and math camp programs at 20 college campuses nationwide this summer with support from the ExxonMobil Foundation.

Read the press release here.

To view site locations and apply, click here.  

Dare to Dream Mission Specialist Excellence Awards

The Dare to Dream program, a crime prevention and character development program for students in grades 4-6, reaches 250 students each year at 10 schools in the Greater Houston area. The Harris Foundation is proud to announce that Imara Brown, a fifth grader from Charles H. Atherton Elementary, and Noel Balleza, a fifth grader at Cage Elementary, have been selected as this module's recipients.

To read more, click here.

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HEALTH:

Using a model created by Martha Ryan, RWJF-CHL 2003, a St. Louis program called Nurses for Newborns sends nurses to the homes of at-risk families to educate new moms and monitor the health of newborns.    

To read more, click here. 

Joanne Goldbum, RWJF-CHL 2007, takes her Diaper Bank to the national stage.

To read more, click here.

Sonith Peou, RWJF-CHL 2009, releases a case study on eliminating barriers to care for Cambodian patients.

To access the study, click here.

"The Time for STEM is Now:" A Blog by Dr. Harris