Y.E.S. (Youth Engagement for Success) Camp

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

From June 20-25, 2022, the Aguila Library partnered with the University of Arizona's Mel and Enid College of Public Health, on Youth Engagement for Success (Y.E.S.) Camp. Over the course of five days, with daily sessions occurring from 1-5 pm, this camp was brought to Aguila by the university's mobile health team in Phoenix. The program engaged 20 teens at the Aguila Library on the basics of career paths in healthcare and health sciences. These first-generation Mexican-American teens have been growing up in an underrepresented, underserved and sparsely resourced rural community of Maricopa County. In this program, these teens learned about the needs and processes of health care, public health, pharmacy, and community health work. The program also included cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, health assessment training, and a medical class on the heart with the University of Arizona medical students. In the program, students practiced laparoscopic surgery and engaged with new healthcare technologies. They practiced their implementation in hands-on practice sessions, all directed by University of Arizona medical students and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health employees. Altogether, students in the Y.E.S. Camp received new knowledge and skills, and were given direct hands-on health experience, guiding them to become the next generation of health leaders. “In addition to learning about healthcare careers, students were given in-depth reasoning, a clear understanding of opportunities in healthcare as related to post-secondary education. They met with the University of Arizona academic advisors and learned about financial aid and scholarships.” University of Arizona statement.