Dr. Harris engage students at every level!

Chastang Middle School lives the dream to meet an astronaut

First African American astronaut to walk in space encouraged students to dream!

Dr. Bernard Harris, the first African-American astronaut to walk in space, brought his national "Dream Tour" program to Chastang Middle School on September 11, 2009. The school was only one of two schools in Mobile, Alabama as his stops in the southeast tour. He, along with ExxonMobil, Douglas Taylor, and Bell Networks owner and radio personality, Ken Bell spoke with sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students during an assembly. Their mission of the "DREAM Tour" is to provide students with possibilities of achieving personal goals in math, science, technology, and engineering.  Their experiences and achievement in the background of math and science was inspirational for our students as the provided insight of their own experiences as students in middle school. 

From humble beginnings in San Antonio, Harris said he fulfilled his dreams of first becoming a medical doctor and later an astronaut, with hard work and tenacity. Through his "Dream Tour," which is presented by the ExxonMobil Foundation, Harris is inspiring young people around the U.S. to believe in themselves. The tour also provides improved tools for teachers to deliver more engaging classroom activities.

Harris and his fellow speakers stressed that strong mathematics and science coursework are keys to unlocking the future and providing skill sets that are needed to succeed in the 21st century.  Outfitted in his royal blue flight suit, Dr. Harris detailed his years of training and preparation for his two journeys into space.   He was a mission specialist on Spacelab and later became a payload commander on the shuttle Columbia for the first flight of the joint Russian-American program. It was during that flight, he became the first African American to walk in space. Overall, he is among only 50 astronauts, including cosmonauts, to have such an honor.

During the assembly, Harris presented eighth graders Whytney Singleton, Samuel Green, Pendarius Kidd, and Alicia Glenn with a special recognition award for being the most improved students in science and mathematics during the 2007-08 school year at Chastang Middle School.

Following the event, students in Mrs. Brown's Science class were selected to meet with Dr. Harris. The students asked more detailed questions about his life and being an astronaut.  Harris said he is dedicated to supporting and nurturing students to success in the areas of mathematics, science, technology and engineering. That supports extends to Chastang as well through the "Dream Tour's" website at www.theharrisfoundation.org, which features online curriculum and professional development for teachers as well as email homework help for students.