Dr. Peter Kofoworola Kolawole, a community volunteer from the University of Winnipeg, and Martin Dupuis, an undergraduate student from the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, guide campers through a hands-on dentistry workshop.
Kids discover health-care careers at UM summer camp
The Biomedical Youth Program Summer Camp sparks youth interest in the health sciences
The University of Manitoba’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences welcomed students back to its Biomedical Youth Program (BYP) Summer Camp — a week-long immersive experience where youth explore careers in the health sciences through hands-on learning. After a pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the camp returned this year with new programming.
From July 21 to 25, approximately 100 students from Grades six to 12 participated in the camp at no cost. Guided by UM student volunteers, campers engaged in interactive sessions that brought science to life.
“This camp is designed to spark curiosity and show students how science shapes the world around us,” said Dr. James Gilchrist, director of the program and professor of oral biology in the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry. “By engaging in hands-on activities, students see how science moves beyond textbooks and into real-world impact.”
Youth campers take part in a hands-on workshop. Mohamed Grashoot, pictured in the center, receives a wrist ultrasound.
Activities ranged from foundational topics in basic and biomedical sciences to hands-on applications in medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy and medical rehabilitation. Campers gained insight into how the health sciences contribute to improving and saving lives.
Sessions included heart dissection, fingerprint analysis, DNA extraction and more. New this year was the exploration of traditional Indigenous medicines and their relevance and relationship to modern medical practices.
Mohamed Gashoot, a 15-year-old camp attendee, said he hopes to become a family physician one day. His favourite part of the camp was interacting with the mentors and instructors.
“I get to ask a lot of questions,” said Gashoot. “It’s a positive environment. They’re extremely kind — they’ll help you understand better. And you’ll make a lot of friends here.”
From summer camp to the College of Pharmacy
For more than a decade, the BYP summer camp has inspired many participants to pursue careers in the health sciences.
Among them is Sean Ticsay, who first found out about the summer camp while searching online for fun things to do in summer. He looked up “summer science camp” and clicked on a link from the UM website, which led him to a promotional page about the BYP camp.
Dr. James Gilchrist and Sean Ticsay at the 2019 BYP Summer Camp.
“I asked my mom if I can join, signed up for the program, my dad dropped me off at Brodie and the rest is history,” Ticsay said.
He attended the summer camp in 2019, which inspired him to pursue a career in health care. After completing his prerequisites over two years at UM’s Fort Garry campus, he remained focused on his goal of joining the Rady Faculty on the Bannatyne campus. This September, Ticsay will enter his third year in the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program at the College of Pharmacy.
“I grew up in Winnipeg’s inner city, attending school at Andrew Mynarski and Sisler High. As a person of colour and member of an underrepresented group, the BYP summer camp showed me that I had options and there were possibilities. Hearing from speakers and instructors at the camp and seeing that there were Filipinos like me, there were other people of colour — what I saw was representation, and that gave me inspiration.”
Youth inspiring youth
Gilchrist emphasized the importance of youth inspiring youth in the community — a core element of BYP’s success.
Binita Freider, an undergraduate student from the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, speaks to campers during a dentistry workshop.
For many undergraduate and graduate students at the Rady Faculty, the summer camp is an opportunity to hone their leadership and teaching skills while giving back to the community.
“The student volunteers are the lifeblood of the BYP,” said Gilchrist. “They’re the best people to inspire teenage kids because they are close in age — being just three to six years older than them.”
Along with student volunteers, Gilchrist also runs the Saturday Science Club at Niji Mahkwa Elementary School’s Inner City Science Centre, in partnership with the Winnipeg School Division. The Saturday science enrichment program invites Indigenous elementary and junior high school students to participate throughout the fall and winter terms, where they engage in the same hands-on activities featured in the summer camp.
To learn more about BYP, visit: umanitoba.ca/health-sciences/community-and-partners#biomedical-youth-program
