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CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University has been awarded a grant by the ExxonMobil Foundation and Harris Foundation to host a summer camp for traditionally underrepresented middle school students to learn about science and mathematics.

The foundations awarded OSU a grant of $80,000 to host one of 20 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camps in 2007.

The two-week residential camp, to be held Aug. 5-17 on the OSU campus, will offer innovative programs to enhance traditionally underrepresented middle school students’ knowledge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It also encourages students to stay in school and foster leadership and citizenship.

The OSU camp will be conducted as a joint effort of the Department of 4-H Youth Development Education, the Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE) program and the College of Engineering.

“This grant will augment OSU’s ongoing efforts to engage traditionally underrepresented youth in hands-on learning experiences in science, technology, engineering and math,” said Roger Rennekamp, department head for 4-H Youth Development Education in OSU’s College of Education. “These are children who wouldn’t be able to be here otherwise.”

Of the 19 institutions selected to host camps, OSU is the only institution in the Northwest and one of two west of the Rocky Mountains to be selected.

“To be one of the 19 institutions selected from more than 90 that applied is truly a great honor for OSU,” said Virginia Bourdeau, a 4-H specialist and principal investigator for the project.