Pinckneyville, Illinois – South Central Illinois Area Health Education Center (AHEC), in partnership with Pinckneyville Community Hospital, recently hosted its first-ever Healing Hands Summer Camp, welcoming 17 local students for a day of hands-on healthcare career exploration.
The camp was designed to introduce students to the wide variety of careers available in healthcare while allowing them to interact directly with healthcare professionals through engaging, interactive activities.
Throughout the day, students explored different healthcare professions by participating in activities including:
- Playing Bones Bingo while learning about Radiology.
- Meeting the crews from ARCH Air Medical and Pinckneyville EMS to learn about emergency medical services.
- Creating “elephant toothpaste” while discovering the importance of accurate measurements in Pharmacy, followed by making prescription-themed s’mores snacks.
- Building first aid kits and learning proper hand hygiene with the Nursing team.
- Testing their balance, coordination, and strength through Physical Therapy activities.
- Making slime to demonstrate how blood clotting works while learning about the Medical Laboratory.
- Rotating through interactive Occupational Therapy stations.
- Wrapping up the day with healthcare trivia, teamwork challenges, and water games.
Healing Hands Summer Camp was created to spark curiosity about healthcare careers and help students see the many opportunities available beyond the roles they typically encounter as patients. By providing early exposure to healthcare professions in a fun, supportive environment, the camp encourages students to begin exploring future career pathways while building connections with local healthcare professionals.
South Central Illinois AHEC is committed to strengthening the healthcare workforce pipeline by partnering with hospitals, schools, and community organizations to create meaningful career exploration opportunities for students.
Hospitals and healthcare organizations interested in hosting a healthcare career camp or similar workforce development program are encouraged to connect with their regional Area Health Education Center (AHEC). AHECs across Illinois work with healthcare partners to develop innovative programs that inspire students and build the next generation of healthcare professionals.
