Area L AHEC
Serving Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton, and Wilson counties. ContactDirector of Health Careers and Workforce Diversity Featured programs and activities:Camp P.U.S.HCamp P.U.S.H., Preparing Underserved Students in Health and Science, is a one-week residential health/science camp for middle school students entering grades 6 through 8. The camp is held annually in June. The camp experience will provide a math and science curriculum and a day-long field trip for minority students who may be educationally and economically disadvantaged but who have an interest in the fields of health care and science. Students are housed on the campus of Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina, where they will have the opportunity to receive instruction from college math and science professors and to increase their awareness of health and science careers. Effective communication skills will be encouraged, as well as the ability to search for information using technology. They will be provided with informal opportunities to link with health care professionals to learn more about educational and job requirements of various careers. Health Careers Awareness Course for Educators and StudentsA one-week intensive course that provides free teacher renewal CEU credits for teachers and counselors to learn cutting-edge information regarding health careers and current health issues. The student component is designed to increase the students’ interest in health careers. Each day of the program is hosted at the local hospital in a different county in the Area L region. Puppet Bunch PresentationsEach year, The Great American Hospital Adventure: Health Careers Puppet Bunch presentation is provided in the Area L region. The focus is on children and young adults from rural areas and those whose cultural/ethnic backgrounds are underrepresented in health professions. Students enjoy learning about health careers and healthy behaviors during this fun and entertaining 40-minute classroom presentation, which includes a video, puppet interaction, and a healthy behaviors game. The materials portray multicultural and non-traditional gender roles in health care. Health Careers Information and Enrichment (HCIE)Area L AHEC offers HCIE workshops for 5th through 12th graders. These workshops are headed by the North Carolina Health Careers Access Program (NC HCAP). The goal of these workshops is to promote and offer health careers awareness, educational opportunities (including financial aid), self-assessment, and health issues affecting teenagers. HCIE targets schools with 49% or more students of color, but also targets rural areas. The program is provided at no cost to the school or the teacher. SAT Prep WorkshopsThis workshop is designed to provide SAT test-taking strategies, and then provide a counseling session to discuss individual strengths and weaknesses. Ventures Into Health Careers InstituteEastern AHEC and Area L AHEC partner to conduct this summer program at East Carolina University in Greenville for highly motivated minority youth from rural eastern North Carolina. Please refer to the Eastern AHEC pages for more information. TouchPoint
Katherine Parker, student Many students who have participated in Area L AHEC programs have gone on to attend colleges and universities including:
Partners in the Area L AHEC Region
Hospitals:
Community Colleges:
Health Departments:
School Systems:
|
“I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work with area L AHEC’s Health Careers and Workforce Diversity program for three years. It has truly been a life-changing experience for me. During my matriculation through the program, I learned how to work with a diverse group people, work in a hospital setting, and enhance my research skills. We also had the opportunity to take SAT prep classes, go on college tours, and attend the annual AHEC conferences each year. It’s because of their program that I decided to study health care in college. I would recommend this program to anyone who is thinking of going into the health care field. For those who think this may not be for you, it could change your mind just like it did for me.”