CE&O Wraps up the 2024-25 School Year with an Engaging Exploration of Medical & Health Sciences
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The end of March and mid-April marked the conclusion of this year’s College Early and Often family programming, with our final two sessions focused on exploring careers in the medical and health sciences. These sessions were tailored for 4th-6th grade families and 7th-12th grade families, respectively.
For these last sessions, we gathered at the Pinole Library, with some amazing guest speakers who led participants through exciting hands-on learning opportunities.
For our 4th-6th grade families, we drew on our collective knowledge to explore the wide range of careers within the medical and health science fields. Following an engaging group discussion, families had the chance to illustrate and design their own doctor’s office, dentist office, or hospital.
Later in the evening, we were joined by Christian V. Curry, Case Manager and Employment and Training Specialist at Richmond YouthWorks. He shared valuable practices for maintaining personal health, including proper handwashing techniques and the function and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Families then practiced “donning” (putting on) and “doffing” (removing) PPE. It was a hands-on, joyful experience that left everyone smiling.
Participants described the evening as informative (in a fun way!), interactive and engaging. One of the students who attended wrote in her reflection, “I think the experience was so fun. The best day!”
For our 7th-12th grade families, the evening took things a step further. After a short brainstorming and reflection activity, families rotated through interactive stations led by three incredible facilitators: Karen D. Wilson, Community Relations Specialist at Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences (KPSAHS); Fatham Ng, Health Academy Lead at De Anza High School, and Michele Jawad; Health Academy Lead at Richmond High School.
Families asked questions, explored Health Science Career Technical Education (CTE) programs available at local high schools, and learned about postsecondary medical
training programs at KPSAHS. They also participated in hands-on activities, including how to safely handle needles and administer injections using practice dummies, as well as using modeling clay to map internal organs in mini body models.
One first-time parent who attended with her 7th-grade daughter said, “ It was very informative. It excites me for what’s to come for my child in the future.” Another parent of an 8th-grade student shared, “This session was very informational, fun, and engaging. Everyone made me and my family feel welcomed and cared for.”
And that’s a wrap on this year’s CE&O family engagement programming!
Don’t worry – there’s more fun to come with new themes next year. If you missed our All Ages Family Values Introduction Session, it will return again this Fall. Then we’ll continue our Career Cluster Deep Dive explorations, with new exciting themes starting with the wonderful world of Education. We hope to see you there!