Recently students in the Health Care Heroes Club, part of Wakefield Schools larger after school program, got some real life experience by visiting the Wakefield Health Care Center on October 15th with the help of Wakefield Health Care Center Director Traci Haglund. Then on October 22nd they received avisit at the school from members of Wakefield’s rescue squad Geena Rahn and Rylie Ekberg.
The “Health Care Heroes” curriculum, developed as part of the Nebraska Health Careers Pipeline Initiative, the students are learning about the many ways health care providers serve their residents and patients.
“Wakefield Health Care Center is excited to be involved in this program,” said Haglund. “Our hope is to inspire the next generation of health care professionals by showcasing the diverse career paths available in this field, such as those in nursing homes and assisted living communities.”
The initiative is a collaboration between Nebraska Hospital Association and Nebraska Health Care Association, with funding from Nebraska Health Care Foundation and Medica. Since its inception, it has positively impacted approximately 3,000 youth at 30 sites across Nebraska.
“The goal of the Healthcare Heroes Club is to promote careers in the health field and help students meet and learn from healthcare workers in our community” said Kari Rooney, language arts teacher and after school programs coordinator at the school. “Students had a great time and loved getting to learn about future careers in the health field, specifically within the community. Traci Haglund has done an excellent job recruiting students and finding community members to teach lessons. This is all possible because of her hard work!”
The Wakefield Schools after school program started as a homework club with approximately 15 students and two staff members and has grown over the last 3 years to now have around 100 students enrolled. “Our program is unique as we are run mostly by teachers and support staff willing to stay after school to extend learning to students and give them experiences they otherwise might not get during a routine school day” said Rooney.
Some of the clubs currently available as part of the program are: Board Game Club, Coloring Club, Yoga Club, Kids Connect, Running Club, Health Care Heroes, Piñata Club, Gardening Club, UNO Club, Karaoke Club, E-Sports, Knust Book Club, Puzzle Club, and ArtVentures with Aguirre.