Summer camp is nothing new, but a short camp laser-focused on generating interest in a high demand field? That's a newer concept. In fact, this is the first time the idea has been tried out in Lexington.
"Right now, they're meeting with a radiologist, and he's showing them X-rays, and they're guessing what happened before that. So it's very they're doing lots of fun activities and got to see a lot of cool hands-on stuff yesterday at the hospital," says Harper Michael, director of operations with the Kentucky Chamber Foundation.
Wednesday was day two of the camp at the Davis Park Workforce Center. Day one took the students to St. Joseph for a more immersive look into medical jobs.
Michael says the goal is to identify students as early as sixth, seventh, and eighth grades who are curious about jobs in medicine with an eye toward eventually filling roles in a field that's facing challenges today.
"Health care is one of the fastest growing industries in Kentucky, so it's also one of the hardest to staff. So developing the interest and skills in this field is key to supporting, health systems, and growing our economy," she says.
The camp grew out of a partnership between the city, Kentucky Chamber, and the Kentucky Hospitals Association, among other groups.
As for the kids, they graduate from the three-day program with more than a little knowledge under their belt. They also come out CPR certified.