San Diego City Wire

San Diego County Public Health Services, in collaboration with the San Diego County Office of Education, is hosting the second annual Public Health Advocate Camp for high school students. This year, 38 students have registered for the camp, a 10-student increase from last year’s attendance.

“The goal of the camp is to inspire high school students to become advocates for public health in their communities and learn about careers in Public Health,” said Dr. Ankita Kadakia, County interim public health officer.

The week-long camp takes place from July 15 to 19 at the Linda Vista Innovation Center. It aims to educate teens on health topics relevant to their age group. During the camp, students will learn about critical health issues and engage in creating their own public health campaigns, mirroring the daily work of public health professionals.

Last year, a high school senior expressed interest in both the medical field and Public Health after attending the program. “I’ve been thinking of going into the medical field, but also Public Health is something that I was looking into. It looks very interesting,” she said. She appreciated how a media campaign can keep the community safe. “It was very enlightening to know that you can do something, even if it is very little. If you can just spread the information, a lot can happen,” she added.

Participation requires an application process which is now closed for this year. The no-cost program is funded through donations from County employees and the Office of Education. Applications for next year’s camp will open next April and will be shared through local schools.

For further information or inquiries:

County Communications Office

communications@sdcounty.ca.gov

619-595-4633