Now that school’s out, there’s no doubt a variety of activities that can fill a junior high student’s calendar to stay occupied during the summer. We’ll find them on the athletic fields, around the pool or on a beach, maybe even exploring current or new hobbies.
Maybe not so surprisingly, one area of focus that many junior high/middle school-aged students begin turning their interest to is career exploration. While it's not uncommon for career exploration to begin in high school, experts now recognize that junior high/middle school is a more suitable time to begin discovering career passions and interests. This allows students to engage in exploration with less stress and a greater openness to different possibilities.
With the goal of assisting Riverbend region junior high/middle school students with an interest in a health care career, OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center will be sponsoring its first-ever Health Care Camp for Riverbend region junior high/middle school students (that just completed 7th or 8th grades) to explore future professional, technical, and clinical career paths.
The OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Care Camp is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 16, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., in the Perpetual Help Center at the hospital (#1 St. Anthony’s Way, Alton). While there is no fee to participate, space is limited, and registration is required. Breakfast will be provided for all attendees.
“We want to provide Riverbend region junior high/middle school students with ideas for careers in health care and hopefully have them turn to OSF HealthCare for future employment opportunities,” says Sara Clohessy, MSN, RN, clinical nurse educator, OSF Saint Anthony’s. “Summer camps such as our first-ever Health Care Camp are valuable for exposing students to various career fields and developing skills. We want our participants to engage in exploration, learning, and networking, helping them to discover potential interests and career paths.”
Presenters from different departments throughout OSF Saint Anthony’s will provide interactive hands-on activities designed to give camp participants a first-person point of view on a multitude of health care jobs.
Registration can be completed by scanning the QR code attached to this article. Questions about OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Care Camp can be submitted via email to healthcarecampforkids@osfhealthcare.org.