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Summer Enrichment Day Camp
» Division of Health Careers/Education and Special Services for Students
The Division of Health Careers/Education and Special Services for Students operates summer and year round programs for students interested in health careers. Collectively, these programs help to create the Health Career Pipeline and were able to collaborate on service-learning projects designed to teach valuable lessons while simultaneously engaging in important community service activities. Those Pipeline programs include Summer Enrichment Day Camp, Project Inquisitive Minds and VCU Acceleration. Their efforts resulted in the donation of 75 pieces of personalized stationary and 45 rice bags to ElderFriends, the VCU Medical Center and Massey Cancer Center.
Summer Enrichment Day Camp recently completed its third year of providing an enrichment program for students entering grades four through six. For the first time, SEDC students made stationery for ElderFriends — a program of the Department of Gerontology. Students received a presentation from a staff member at ElderFriends, where they learned about seniors who are homebound and without family in the vicinity to visit them. ElderFriends has several volunteers that communicate with residents to assure socialization; this communication includes home visits, telephone calls and written communication through letters. To aid in this communication, SEDC participants created and donated more than 75 pieces of personalized stationery.
Project Inquisitive Minds participants, also in their third year, learned along with Acceleration participants, that various illnesses can cause muscle pain and cramping and that ice packs or heating pads can be used to assist in relieving pain that may be associated with such illnesses. Students learned to sew by hand and create rice bags for the Department of Pediatrics at the VCU Medical Center and Massey Cancer Center. The bags — when heated in the microwave — can be used as a heating pad or as an ice pack when placed in the freezer. About 45 rice bags were donated this year and the project has been ongoing for the past three summers.
Get involved
To support this program or get involved as a volunteer, contact Kevin Harris at kaharris@vcu.edu.