Twenty high schoolers gather around a large rectangular plate lying in the middle of the floor in the Center for Orthopaedic and Biomechanics Research lab. One teen bravely volunteers to jump on the plate so the group can explore the force of jumping and how they can manipulate their bodies to jump higher. The remaining students cheer them on to try to encourage them to jump higher.
Just a few hours earlier these same students waited shyly in the lobby of a Boise State dorm, some with their parents – others alone, after checking into the inaugural College of Health Sciences Summer Camp. A new summer camp hosted by the College of Health Sciences to introduce high schoolers to the college experience and various health sciences careers offered at Boise State.
As part of the camp, the students spent three days and two nights on the Boise State campus attending a variety of interactive presentations from each of the undergraduate programs in the College of Health Sciences. The students stayed on campus in the dorm, ate in the dining halls, played basketball at Campus Rec Center and bowled in the Student Union Games Center – getting a taste of what the college experience is like.
Current Boise State students helping prospective students see the future
Three current Boise State College of Health Sciences students helped plan the camp and stayed with the high schoolers in the dorm overnight as camp coordinators.
“Our camp coordinators did an amazing job of picking a variety of non-academic extracurriculars so the campers could experience what it’s like to live on a college campus,” Lutana Haan, senior associate dean of the College of Health Sciences and camp director, said. “They arranged for the campers to explore the best of Boise State, including the Maker Lab, Campus Rec, and the campus’ proximity to downtown with a walk to The STIL for ice cream.”
“It was fun to watch the bond among the campers develop and to watch the campers’ relationships with the coordinators deepen,” Haan added. “When I saw them the second morning, I could tell they bonded overnight. We can’t thank our coordinators enough for their help in facilitating all of this.”
Making a difference for high schoolers
The campers took a survey before and after camp to gauge how their perspective may have changed towards their chosen fields of study in health sciences, Boise State as a whole and their ability to achieve a career in healthcare. The survey results were overwhelmingly positive with all respondents becoming more certain of their initial responses to these questions in the post-camp survey. All of the campers said they’d recommend the camp to a friend.
“This was genuinely, so, so much fun!” one of the campers reported. “All the counselors were awesome and very friendly and I loved all the people. I learned a lot about what I need to do in the future for college and careers.”
The campers favorite activities included working with the Simulation Center manikins, bowling at the Student Union Games Center, staying in the dorms and making new friends.
As the camp came to a close, and campers picked up their luggage in anticipation of heading home with their parents, many campers exchanged hugs and contact information. New friends and connections were clearly made between students who came from a variety of backgrounds and schools across the Treasure Valley. The College of Health Sciences staff and camp coordinators were really proud of how successful the camp was among the students.
“The summer camp was a great experience,” Thomas Wenzel, Kinesiology ‘24, current Master of Science in Kinesiology student, and one of the camp coordinators. “Being able to showcase what specifically students in the college do day to day was very stimulating for the high schoolers and should help them make a very educated decision when deciding on what health care path to pursue in college.”
“The Health Sciences Camp was a huge success,” Brooke Brody, Health Studies major and Pre-Medical Pathway student, “It was so rewarding being able to watch these high schoolers become familiarized with all the fantastic programs we have available here at Boise State. They were all so engaged, and eager to learn or participate in all the activities. I hope to see them as future Broncos!”
The college is currently assessing the feasibility of offering the camp again in summer 2025. If you’re interested in being contacted with information about future camps, please complete this Health Sciences Camp Interest Form.