The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

June 6, 2009

Middle-school career camp offered

By Tanner Kent

MANKATO — Middle school might be too early for driving and gambling — but it’s not too soon for a little career contemplation.

Especially if that career lies in the health-care industry.

Thanks to a multi-organization collaboration, Immanuel St. Joseph’s will be hosting a career camp for students in grades 6-8 on June 22 and 23. The two-day camp will offer students their first in-depth look at health careers and the chance to explore a field that is booming with future job opportunities.

“Why not start (exploring careers) in middle school?” said Kim Mueller, a health careers teacher in Mankato schools. “Even though there has been a lot of job cuts in this economy, there is still a shortage of health-care workers.

“We really need to help kids plan now so Mankato isn’t left in the dust.”

The two-day camp is open to any student in the region, costs $40 and includes scrubs, lunch and snacks for both days. Parents are responsible for transportation. There are also 10 scholarships available for families in which cost is a challenge.

During the camp, students will receive building tours and choose from several breakout sessions that include demonstrations on living with disability, yoga classes and Anatomy in Clay — where students learn bone and muscle structure with an artistic twist.

Sonya McNamara, director of the Healthcare Education Industry Partnership at Minnesota State University, said the camp is meant to be highly interactive. Through hands-on activities, McNamara said the goal is to expose students to as many health-care careers as possible.

“There’s such a wide variety of career options,” McNamara said. “Students know about doctors and nurses but sometimes not everybody else. There are hundreds of jobs at a hospital.”

The camp represents the latest effort in Mankato Area Public Schools to expose students to heath-care careers.

In cooperation with the HIGH-Step Committee, a panel of area health care professionals that advise K-12 curriculum, Mankato high school students can enroll in a medical career exploration class as well as a nursing certification class held in cooperation with the Thro Company, where students can pursue clinical experience. HIGH-Step also works with the South Central Service Cooperative to offer Internet-TV courses on health care to rural schools.

Healthcare Education Industry Partnership and HealthForce MN (both state programs aimed at increasing health care education opportunities) are also collaborating on the camp.



If You Go
What
Health-care career camp for middle-schoolers
When
June 22 and 23
Where
Immanuel St. Joseph’s
Cost
$40, but scholarships are available
To register
Visit www.mnscsc.org, and click on events; select category “HIGH-Step Health Sci Tech ED”

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