Virginia Western Community College, in partnership with Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS), will introduce rising 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students to multiple career pathways through transformative education and experiential learning. Thanks to the support of Roanoke-area employers and organizations, these camps will illuminate fulfilling careers and enable students to explore their vocational passions and develop essential skills.
Camps are limited to rising 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students in Roanoke City Public Schools.
Camps are free to attend. All supplies and materials are provided. Students may participate in up to two camps.
To register, email Reginia Cook at rcook@virginiawestern.edu.
July 8-12 Camps
Biotechnology - FULL
Location: Virginia Western Campus
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Microscopes, microbes and molecular methods: biotechnology careers. During this camp, students will investigate the microscopic world of biology using various microscopes. They will also learn staining techniques that will allow them to determine basic information about the microbes they are visualizing under the microscope.
Event Planning
Location: The Hotel Roanoke
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Become an event planner extraordinaire. This camp will introduce students to a wide range of event planning, from formal to informal. They’ll learn how to plan and cost out events, as well as how to complete project management plan. The cohort of students will design and develop the 2024 Summer Career Exploration Camps graduation event.
Healthcare/Culinary - Dietary Technician - FULL
Location: Claude Moore Culinary Arts Center
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Students will be introduced to the rewarding field of healthcare food service. They’ll learn the basic health issues frequently experienced by patients and how diets can improve health and wellness. Therapeutic diets such as diabetic and heart healthy will be reviewed and prepared during the lab portion of this camp. Additionally, mechanically altered diets such as pureed will be reviewed and prepared. Students will also earn their ServSafe Food Handler Certification, making them very marketable when seeking employment.
Mechatronics and Manufacturing - FULL
Location: Virginia Western Campus
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Manufacturing is a widespread sector in our region with numerous employment opportunities. During this camp, students will learn the fundamentals of innovation and mechatronics skills, which are critical to career pathways in manufacturing. They’ll also gain foundational knowledge in electricity and precision measuring. Students will apply what they learn for a take-home project they create.
Social Work and Counseling - FULL
Location: Virginia Western Campus
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Dive into the heart of social work. Students will discover the many facets of social work by participating in fun and interactive activities designed to help build problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills. Students will learn from an experienced social worker, hear their inspiring stories, and leave the camp feeling empowered and equipped to take the next steps toward a career in social work and counseling.
July 15-19 Camps
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Location: Virginia Western Campus
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Artificial intelligence, commonly known as AI, is a rapidly expanding field that’s reshaping our lifestyles, professions and interactions with technology. In this camp, students will delve into various AI tools, exploring their functionalities through interactive projects. They’ll also investigate concepts like machine learning and the methods of instructing AI to perform specific tasks. Students will even have a chance to develop their own basic AI application.
Introductory Culinary - FULL
Location: Claude Moore Culinary Arts Center
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Students will be introduced to culinary arts and career pathways. They’ll learn knife cuts, equipment uses, knife skills and safety, egg cookery, meat fabrication and cookery, soups, sauces, and biscuits. Students will also earn their ServSafe Food Handler Certification, making them very marketable when seeking employment. The capstone project is a grand buffet where students will display their creations for a guest of their choosing.
Entrepreneurship - FULL
Location: Virginia Western Campus
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Become a business owner. This camp will introduce students to the special nuances of entrepreneurship. They’ll learn how to create a working and viable business plan, develop branding and marketing strategies for their product or service, identify distribution channels for marketing, and establish a working budget.
July 22-26 Camps
Advanced Culinary - FULL
Location: Claude Moore Culinary Arts Center
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Students will build on their experience from the Introductory Culinary Camp to advance their culinary skills. After a review of sanitation and meat fabrication, students will learn baking techniques and mixing methods. With their new skills, they’ll be introduced to American Regional Cuisine and International Cuisine, making food from these regions. The capstone project is a grand buffet where students will display their creations for a guest of their choosing.
App Development and SWVA Can Coding
Location: Virginia Western Campus
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Curious, creative, problem-solving students needed. This camp is ideal for students who want to learn more about app development and the SWVA Can Code initiative, designed to identify areas for community enrichment that can be solved through app development.
Healthcare/Culinary - Certified Dietary Manager
Location: Claude Moore Culinary Arts Center
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Students will be introduced to the growing need for certified dietary managers in hospitals, long-term care facilities and other healthcare settings. Students will explore the educational pathways, duties and responsibilities, and career outlook of this managerial job role. Special diets, including heart healthy, diabetic and mechanically altered will be reviewed with the opportunity to prepare recipes for these diets during the lab portion of this camp. Students will also earn their ServSafe Food Handler Certification, making them very marketable when seeking employment.
Horticulture, Floral Design, and Community Beautification
Location: Virginia Western Campus
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Students will be introduced to careers in the horticultural field. They’ll learn about landscape design, greenhouse productions, vegetable and flower gardening, floral design and plant propagation, all at the Natural Science Center at Virginia Western, adjacent to the Community Arboretum.
Hospitality Management
Location: The Hotel Roanoke
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Students will gain the foundational knowledge and skills of hospitality management during this camp. They’ll learn about the hospitality industry in our region and globally, with a special focus on the types of hospitality businesses, their operational processes and profitability, and their regional impact. Students will also learn about starting a hospitality business of their own.
July 29 – August 2 Camps
Criminal Justice - FULL
Location: Virginia Western Campus
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Students will be introduced to law enforcement and criminal justice career pathways. They’ll learn how these critical careers improve the overall wellness and livability of our communities. Students will visit the new crime lab on the Virginia Western Community College campus for hands-on learning.
Tourism and Economic Development
Location: Virginia Western Campus
Time: 1 PM – 5 PM
Details: Tourism and economic development are intertwined, especially here in our beautiful Roanoke Valley. Students will learn how tourism initiatives are created in the region and what drives economic development. Students will develop a marketing initiative during the camp, including digital marketing instruments and a video.