Every August for the past three years, young people (16 – 21 years old) from throughout our county have gathered at Public Health – Seattle & King County for a powerful week of hands-on learning experiences and career pathway exploration. This wasn’t about boring panel discussions and wordy PowerPoint presentations – young people roleplayed as epidemiologists during an epidemic, learned how to reverse overdoses, and toured the ambulances of our paramedics.
“Our goal is to expose the next generation to the immense diversity of jobs here at Public Health,” says camp co-founder and Public Health Nurse Shayla Holcomb. “We hope students will see themselves reflected in our workforce and in the values of care and equity so central to our mission. Our aim is for students to leave with excitement for their futures and a new network of support to help them get there.”
Snapshots of Public Health Camp
Swipe through the carousel below for a peek into some of the Public Health Camp activities.
Learning about a day in the life of a paramedic with our Emergency Medical Services Division 
Roleplaying as disease investigators during an outbreak with our epidemiologists 
Creating materials for our community about the impacts of climate change on health. Photo Credit: Hyoju Park 
Exploring the forensics work of the Medical Examiner’s Office 
Meet and greet with our new Health Officer, Dr. Sandra Valenciano 
Networking with public health professionals and exploring career opportunities 
Learning what teens can do to promote safer driving with our Teen Target Zero team. 
Car seat check demonstrations with our injury prevention specialists 
Learning how to save a life with naloxone during an overdose prevention training
In Their Own Words
“When I first got here, I thought Public Health was mostly just disease control, but I’ve learned that a lot of it is about one-on-one care. Like how we met people who help teen moms when they first give birth, but then we also went to the medical examiner’s office – so we truly got to see how public health supports people throughout their whole lives. And I got to see how I could fit in. I didn’t know about Jail Health Services before this camp, for instance, and how they bring social justice into their work – building trust with underrepresented people so that they can receive care. That’s the kind of impact I want to have, too.” – Molly Newman, 18
“I’m really interested in forensics, so going to the Medical Examiner’s Office was huge for me. I’ve never had the opportunity to actually speak to anyone in that field before, so it was great to hear those perspectives, and my interest has definitely gone up even more. But I also just learned about so many different career paths that I didn’t know were Public Health…the camp has had a huge impact on what I want to study, and my path feels a lot clearer now.” – Chance Davis-Jones, 18
“My favorite part of Public Health camp was the behavioral health sessions. I want to be a psychiatrist and there aren’t a lot of opportunities to learn about that at my school. I learned here that medical schools want students who have volunteer experience so now I’m going to look for volunteer opportunities in special education classrooms. I also learned about the UW’s Doctor for Day program during the tabling session, which has a whole session on neuroscience which I am very interested in.” – Calvin N., 16
Ripple Effects
When Hyoju Park first attended Public Health Camp three years ago, she was a high school student at Auburn Riverside and didn’t know a lot about public health. “It was kind of just a cloud of mystery and something that people didn’t really talk about.” But after a few days of learning about how diverse and impactful the field is, she knew she was on an exciting path.
Now entering her third year at the University of Washington, Park is majoring in Environmental Public Health – a decision she credits to the encouragement and support she received from mentors at Public Health Camp. Park shared that although she has always been interested in healthcare, it wasn’t until the camp that she saw her values of equity and social justice reflected. “As a first-generation college student, immigrant, and person of color, finding out about Public Health was like a missing puzzle piece.” On what inspired her to return to Public Health Camp this year as an intern, Park explained, “I wanted to be a part of the empowering community that’s had such a big influence on me and pay it forward.”
New Partnerships + A Focus on Well-being
“One of the things that excited me the most about this year’s activities,” said camp co-founder and Public Health Program Manager Greg Wilson, “was the participation of our partner network beyond Public Health – Seattle & King County. The University of Washington, Seattle University, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, and community colleges throughout our county participated in workshops, fireside chats and networking opportunities so students could connect their camp learnings with potential academic pathways.”
By the end of week, more than 100 Public Health staff and community partners participated in the camp as mentors, facilitators, presenters, and hosts. Partners included Department of Community and Health Services and wider community to enrich the well-being and mental health programming, which was given deeper emphasis based on feedback from participants the previous year.
This wider network of partnerships—including a myriad of medical institutions and various non-profit and community organizations—is what Public Health Camp is all about, Wilson explained. “Our goal is for students to understand where Public Health sits within a larger system of care for our community. And to empower them to find their place in it. Throughout the week, we celebrated the grit, grace and gratitude that defines both our participants and our mission.”
What’s Next for Public Health Camp?
After the last day of camp, participants stay engaged as part of the “Ambassador Troupe”, serving as advocates for their communities, the camp, and public health. They stay connected through a LinkedIn Group, youth advisory board, internship opportunities, and invitations to future trainings and workshops.
“It’s been amazing to see this community grow over the years with students and public health staff coming back to support the camp,” Holcomb remarked. “And it’s working! Participants are going on to study and work in public health and related fields. Particularly at a moment when the future of our field is so uncertain, this camp is giving our workforce hope. Future generations are not only being exposed to the value of public health but are inspired to carry it forward.”
Originally published 8/27/25