The first black man to walk in space told a group of 47 middle-school students that nine out of 10 jobs in the next decade will require expertise in science during an annual science camp at OU.

Bernard Harris spoke to students Friday at The Exxon Mobil Bernard Harris Science Camp. The camp hosts students who are chosen by their math and science teachers to attend the camp as it travels across the country, according to the camp's website. Teachers select students who have shown an interest in the subject and have high grades.

The university began hosting the camp in 2006.

Kerry Moreland, an OU graduate and an Exon Mobil employee, introduced the kids to Harris, calling him “a teacher, CEO, pilot, scuba diver, astronaut and my role model.”

This made everyone laugh, including Harris, as he stepped up to take Moreland’s place at the front of the group of students.

“When I was your age, I was fascinated with science and science fiction,” Harris said. “I was like every American kid, back then, I saw those pictures of the moon landing and said, ‘I want to be an astronaut’.”

The children looked engaged, listening intently as Harris described the extreme speeds involved in exiting the Earth’s gravity, the dangers involved in space exploration and the interesting experiments he was able to do throughout his 438 hours and 7.2 million miles of experience.

“It is all about knowledge,” Harris said. “Knowledge is power. The higher amount of education, the more opportunities you have.”

Harris grinned when he talked about the impact the camp may have on its participants. The first group to participate in the camp will graduate high school this year, and 95 percent of the students said they will be going to college, Harris said.

These camps are beneficial because they foster relationships between kids and local universities, Harris said. Also, many of the kids that go to these camps attend college where the camps were held, he said.

“These kids are the future,” Harris said. “This is an environment for them to thrive and grow and get a pat on the back. We can show them that while they may be getting teased in school about being smart, in truth, geeks rule the world.”