The Exxon Mobil Foundation, in association with the Bernard Harris Foundation, has selected the College of Engineering at the University of South Alabama, as one of 30 sites across the country to host a summer science camp for middle school students. The announcement came on the 15th anniversary of Dr. Harris' historic space walk on February 9th, 1995, while aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Dr. Harris was the first African American Astronaut to walk in space. The Exxon Mobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp program is the largest of its kind in the nation and offers a two-week, free-of-charge experience for young boys and girls. Students attending this year's South Alabama camp will come from Mobile and Baldwin Counties. Twenty-five middle school boys and twenty five middle school girls will be selected from an open registration, based upon the recommendations of their teachers, on their leadership skills and on their science and mathematics aptitude. Since 2006, almost 4,000 students from across the country has attended Exxon-Mobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camps.

At the USA camp, students will attend daily classes in the natural sciences, engineering, mathematics and technology, taught by USA faculty and selected secondary classroom teachers. Activities will include classroom study, experiments, group projects, weekly excursions and motivational guest speakers. In the words of Dr. Harris, "the summer science camp will give students a chance to learn about mathematics and science, more about themselves and about life on a college campus. More importantly, campers will learn that they have the power to achieve their dreams whatever they may be".