Providence gets involved at W.F. West STEM Camp

More than a dozen caregivers from Providence Swedish South Puget Sound supported the STEM Camp at W.F. West High School on Wednesday, Aug. 9, providing information on a variety of careers in the health care field.

The camp, which is open to students entering grades 9-12 in the upcoming school year, has been held at W.F. West High School for nearly a decade thanks to a partnership between the Chehalis Foundation and the University of Washington. It focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Through Providence, campers were given an overview of health care careers and the education needed for different roles. The students were able to speak with representatives from different areas of expertise, such as physical therapy, security, laboratory, respiratory therapy, radiation oncology, clinical education, project management and more.

The first two days of this year’s four-day camp were dedicated to an engineering project, while the second half of the camp was dedicated to the medical side of STEM, according to organizers. 

Providence Swedish, one of the camp’s longtime sponsors, led the transition from engineering into the medical side of STEM on Wednesday with demonstrations from a variety of different leaders within Providence. 

“We just answer questions and highlight just the diversity of roles that are within a hospital or health care environment,” Providence Southwest Chief Executive Darin Goss said Tuesday. 

“You don’t just have to become a doctor to work in health care,” Providence Senior Communication Manager Chris Thomas added. 

For more information on the camp, visit https://stemchehalis.org/.  

Read more coverage from the STEM camp here: https://www.chronline.com/stories/wf-west-high-school-hosts-annual-summer-stem-camp,323478?