H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp –– a summer health education program for girls from low socioeconomic and diverse racial backgrounds in Grand Rapids –– is launching a corresponding boys’ camp, starting in late June of this year.

H.E.A.L.T.H. –– which stands for “Health Education And Leadership Training for a Hopeful Future” –– is a camp led by Calvin University’s School of Health. Dean of the School of Health Dr. Adejoke Ayoola proposed the H.E.A.L.T.H. camp in 2016.

The program aims to educate young people on issues such as nutrition, exercise, mental health, self-care, reproductive health and bullying. A typical day at camp includes around six hours of classroom learning and some hands-on, interactive activities. Participants also have the opportunity to learn about different health-related professions including nursing, medicine and other disciplines. Additionally, campers would get the opportunity to tour Calvin’s facilities and talk with faculty.

According to Ayoola, H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp was started in response “to mothers’ requests to teach their daughters about reproductive health information in the Grand Rapids Community,” and has enjoyed a plenitude of success since.

With H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp’s initial success, many parents were left wondering why there wasn’t an equivalent program for boys.

“Every year after this, we continue[d] to receive requests for the boys’ camp,” according to Ayoola. Now, there are plans in motion to start a pilot week for the boys’ H.E.A.L.T.H Camp.

The pilot week for the boys’ H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp, scheduled for June 24-28, 2024, will mirror the structure and objectives of its counterpart for girls. This week aims to educate boys aged 12-17 from similar backgrounds on various health-related topics, including mental health, self-care and reproductive health. The camp –– which will run for four days –– will give participants a basic overview of health while introducing participants to a variety of different health-related professions.

“I hope that the boys’ H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp is a small step into boys having more open and honest conversations about their health,” said Maia Swinson, the project coordinator for the School of Health. “My goal is that H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp provides a safe space for boys to have conversations about their own health –– and, in return, boys will be more comfortable talking to their friends and family about [their] health.”

The program also seeks to replicate the earlier successes of the girls’ H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp, which has been running successfully since its inception in 2016. Much of the same content will carry over to the boys’ camp, according to Swinson, albeit with topics like mental health tailored for a male audience.

“We plan to use the same model for the boys’ camp. Experts will teach the camp, and more male educators will be in the boys’ camp. We also plan to have more male counselors for the boys’ camp,” Ayoola told Chimes.

Finding enough male counselors has proven difficult, despite the enthusiasm for launching the boys’ H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp. “We still need more male Calvin students who will be able to serve as camp counselors for the boys’ camp,” Ayoola said.

“I know parents for a while have been asking for the boys’ version of it,” said Madelyn Helmus, a Calvin student and research assistant at last summer’s H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp. “Because everybody seems to love the girls’ camp, and it’s been very successful. So I think it’ll be a very valuable addition to the HEALTH Camp to have that for boys as well.”

Ayoola emphasized that H.E.A.L.T.H. camp instructors are deeply enthusiastic about helping the campers learn as they are invested deeply in the campers’ growth. Furthermore, she noted that the camp counselors, who are Calvin students trained to be friendly and approachable leaders, have established meaningful connections with campers.

In addition to helping educate the local community, H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp introduces young people to the world of Calvin. According to Ayoola, the program was “designed as a camp to create an environment where young girls can experience life on Calvin’s campus and envision themselves attending Calvin or any other higher-learning institution in the future.”

As preparations for the pilot week progress, the team is committed to overcoming obstacles and ensuring a successful launch of the boys’ H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp. With continued community support and recruitment, the H.E.A.L.T.H. Camp aims to provide boys with the same positive experience that has benefitted girls in the past.