Students Explore Careers at CHHS Summer Camps
Photo: Michael Spencer/UNCW
This summer, the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) and its partners hosted a series of camps for middle and high school students designed to ignite interest in healthcare careers. Campers explored health science majors via hands-on experiences facilitated by College faculty and staff as well as community partners. Interdisciplinary Health Education for Aspiring Leaders (iHEAL) is a four-day, three-night healthcare exposure opportunity allowing rising ninth grade students from six regional counties to explore CHHS majors and healthcare careers while staying overnight at UNCW. Alongside partners at UNC Health, UNC School of Medicine, and Novant Health, CHHS faculty and staff facilitated interactive simulations in CHHS labs and learning spaces. Examples include respiratory therapy intubations, TRX training, Anatomage and virtual reality workshops, and athletic taping clinics.
iHEAL has grown annually since its initial pilot in summer 2022 and recently finished its fourth year which consisted of two camps held in two back-to-back weeks. To date, 120 students have completed an iHEAL summer camp, thus creating a pipeline of prospective UNCW students interested in healthcare majors and potentially increasing the future southeastern North Carolina healthcare workforce.
iHEAL alumni maintain their connection to CHHS and UNCW through semesterly iHEAL seminars throughout their high school experience. Additionally, iHEAL alumni are awarded a waived UNCW application fee and $2,000 scholarship if they later attend UNCW. Pre-Health Programs plans and facilitates iHEAL, which is entirely free to campers thanks to the co-sponsorship by UNC Health, UNC School of Medicine and Novant Health.
The Interdisciplinary Health Professions Summer Summit (iHPSS) is a two-week day camp for high school students in New Hanover County. Students receive lecture and lab time with faculty and community partners to learn about health science careers and what it means to work with other members of the healthcare community for whole patient care. Students learn about health disciplines, explore hands-on learning experiences and participate in case-study discussions that demonstrate how different professions work together for the advancement of patient health. “In just two weeks, these students discovered that healthcare is as much about connection and curiosity as it is about science. Watching them find their voice, explore their strengths, and step into professionalism at such a young age was truly inspiring,” said Leneice Rice, program manager of the Coastal Community Healthcare Fellows.
“Through hands-on activities, exposure to local healthcare employers, and friendships with peers they might never have met otherwise, they began to see that their unique talents and passions have a place in this field. They learned that caring for others requires collaboration, creativity, and the courage to look at the whole person,” Rice said. “By the end of the program, we weren’t just watching students learn about healthcare, we were watching the next generation of leaders imagine what is possible for themselves and for their communities. It felt like seeing the future of healthcare take its very first confident steps."
CHHS also assisted with Watson College of Education’s 2025 Junior Seahawk Academy, designed exclusively for middle-grade students aged 10 to 14. Its mission is to foster learning through engaging, hands-on activities that ignite students’ interests in STEM, health and teacher education careers. Thomas Nietman, clinical assistant professor in the respiratory therapy program, led a hands-on respiratory therapy demonstration for the campers, covering patient assessments like respiratory rate, heart rate, and using doppler/ultrasound.
With hands-on learning, mentorship and collaboration across disciplines, summer camps like these are preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals. By engaging students early, CHHS is building a stronger pipeline into health careers and strengthening the future workforce in southeastern North Carolina.
iHEAL has grown annually since its initial pilot in summer 2022 and recently finished its fourth year which consisted of two camps held in two back-to-back weeks. To date, 120 students have completed an iHEAL summer camp, thus creating a pipeline of prospective UNCW students interested in healthcare majors and potentially increasing the future southeastern North Carolina healthcare workforce.
iHEAL alumni maintain their connection to CHHS and UNCW through semesterly iHEAL seminars throughout their high school experience. Additionally, iHEAL alumni are awarded a waived UNCW application fee and $2,000 scholarship if they later attend UNCW. Pre-Health Programs plans and facilitates iHEAL, which is entirely free to campers thanks to the co-sponsorship by UNC Health, UNC School of Medicine and Novant Health.
The Interdisciplinary Health Professions Summer Summit (iHPSS) is a two-week day camp for high school students in New Hanover County. Students receive lecture and lab time with faculty and community partners to learn about health science careers and what it means to work with other members of the healthcare community for whole patient care. Students learn about health disciplines, explore hands-on learning experiences and participate in case-study discussions that demonstrate how different professions work together for the advancement of patient health. “In just two weeks, these students discovered that healthcare is as much about connection and curiosity as it is about science. Watching them find their voice, explore their strengths, and step into professionalism at such a young age was truly inspiring,” said Leneice Rice, program manager of the Coastal Community Healthcare Fellows.
“Through hands-on activities, exposure to local healthcare employers, and friendships with peers they might never have met otherwise, they began to see that their unique talents and passions have a place in this field. They learned that caring for others requires collaboration, creativity, and the courage to look at the whole person,” Rice said. “By the end of the program, we weren’t just watching students learn about healthcare, we were watching the next generation of leaders imagine what is possible for themselves and for their communities. It felt like seeing the future of healthcare take its very first confident steps."
CHHS also assisted with Watson College of Education’s 2025 Junior Seahawk Academy, designed exclusively for middle-grade students aged 10 to 14. Its mission is to foster learning through engaging, hands-on activities that ignite students’ interests in STEM, health and teacher education careers. Thomas Nietman, clinical assistant professor in the respiratory therapy program, led a hands-on respiratory therapy demonstration for the campers, covering patient assessments like respiratory rate, heart rate, and using doppler/ultrasound.
With hands-on learning, mentorship and collaboration across disciplines, summer camps like these are preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals. By engaging students early, CHHS is building a stronger pipeline into health careers and strengthening the future workforce in southeastern North Carolina.
This article has the following tags: School of Nursing Students & Alumni College of Health & Human Services