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This summer the Southside Virginia Area Health Education Center (SVAHEC) will provide a free virtual four-day Health Careers Summer Camp. 

Open to high school students, the camp will provide the opportunity to attend one of two health careers summer camp sessions, scheduled June 21-24 and July 12-15. Each session is limited to 25 students.

Hosted by the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center in South Boston, SVAHEC serves 15 counties, including Charlotte. Its ultimate goal is the successful creation and improvement of a competitive health workforce throughout Virginia. The program strives to identify, motivate, recruit, train and retain a health care workforce committed to underserved populations.

“The goal of the summer camps is to have high school students walk away with increased knowledge allowing them to make a well-informed decision in pursuing a health career of their choice,” Valerie Watson, director of SVAHEC, said.

During the sessions, students will learn about various health careers through hands-on discovery-based activities and exposure to health care education. There will also be an “ask the health professional” session, and health career information will be given. 

“We hope the experience will help lead each of them to a future of economic prosperity, and instill in them a desire to return to the community in which they have rooted ties,” Watson said.

The cost to attend is free thanks to the generosity of sponsors J.E. Burton Construction, Inc. and Comfort Systems USA. Each student will receive a summer camp kit that will include hands-on activities for each student to work on during the four-day virtual camp. 

Registration is open through June 4. Interested students can register at www.bit.ly/aheccamp. For more information, contact Watson at (434) 572-5493 or ahec@svhec.org.