Camp Fast Forward
- 1 Week, Half-Day Camp
- Over 5 Professions Explored
- CPR Certification Included
- Offered each June. Students must have transportation to the camp site each day.
What You Will Learn
- A hands-on introduction to careers across more than five health professions
- Science experiments as they relate to health care and simulation activities
- How to perform CPR, earning full certification during the camp
- Simulation skills practiced on the same equipment nursing students use
- Goal setting and planning for high school, college, and beyond
Who Should Join
- Current 7th and 8th grade students interested in health care
- Students who enjoy hands-on science and simulation activities
- Students who want an early look at medical careers before high school
- Students living within the program's Central Louisiana service area
- Students ready to commit to a full week of half-day sessions in June
Requirements
- Current 7th or 8th grade student with a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA
- Completed student assessment form, finished by a teacher, counselor, or middle school principal
- Transportation to the camp site each day, and current residence within the program's service area
Explore This Program
Overview
About This Program
Camp Fast Forward is a free half-day, one-week summer camp that provides middle school students a hands-on introduction to careers in health care. The program allows students to perform science experiments as they relate to health care and simulation activities. Camp Fast Forward also offers students the chance to gain CPR certification, set goals for themselves, and plan for the future. The camp is offered each June in Avoyelles, Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Vernon, and Winn parishes, with plans to include Allen Parish in the future.
Why Join This Program?
Impact
Camp Fast Forward reaches students at the age when career interest first takes shape, in parishes where health career exposure is otherwise scarce. Campers leave CPR certified and able to say what a health professional actually does all day.
Purpose
The purpose of Camp Fast Forward is to give junior high students a genuine, hands-on introduction to health care careers, using simulation and experimentation rather than lecture, so they can decide early whether medicine is a path worth pursuing.
Value
Campers work with the equipment, mannequins, and activities that actual nursing students use. That is an experience junior high students rarely get anywhere else, and it makes an abstract career choice concrete.
Benefits
Students earn CPR certification, explore more than five health professions in a single week, practice simulation and lab skills, and set goals for high school and beyond. The camp is free, and it runs half days so it fits around a family's summer.
Curriculum
What You’ll Learn
Camp Fast Forward runs half days across a single week each June, hosted at a college campus or hospital near the student’s parish. Each day combines simulation, experimentation, and career exploration.
Health Care Career Exploration
Students are introduced to more than five health professions across the week, meeting professionals from each and learning what training and education those careers require.
Simulation Activities
Campers work with the mannequins, equipment, and simulation labs used by actual nursing and allied health students, practicing patient care scenarios in a supervised setting.
Science and Health Care Experiments
Hands-on science experiments are framed around their real health care applications, connecting classroom science to clinical practice.
CPR Certification
Students complete CPR training and earn full certification, along with skills such as the Heimlich maneuver, during the camp week.
Goal Setting and Future Planning
The camp closes with sessions on setting personal goals and planning a path through high school and into a health care career.
Testimonials
Program Impact: Student Perspectives
Camp Fast Forward has been running for years across Central Louisiana, and the strongest endorsements come from the campers, parents, and educators who have been through a week of it. Here is what a few of them told us.
Annaleigh Barbee
I genuinely loved being in AHEC and Camp Fast Forward. They really helped me figure out what I wanted to do. It’s an amazing opportunity for people who want to go into the medical field but don’t know what they want to do.
Tiffany Strebeck
It was such a rewarding week for her. She has been so proud to tell others that she is CPR certified and knows how to properly do the Heimlich maneuver. These camps are priceless opportunities.
Laura Bordelon
Students are given the amazing opportunity for one week over the summer to work with equipment, mannequins, and activities that actual nursing students use. This is a huge opportunity for junior high students.
Kimberly LeBlanc
My daughter did Camp Fast Forward in middle school. It helped open her eyes to what she wants to do after high school. It has even helped her think about dual enrollment and starting college and career early.
Trusted By
Camp Fast Forward is hosted at CLTCC campuses in Avoyelles, LaSalle, Winn, Concordia, and Rapides parishes, as well as Byrd Regional in Vernon Parish, LSU Alexandria, and Northwestern State University. The project is funded by a Future of HealthC.A.R.E. Program Grant from The Rapides Foundation.
Secure Your Spot Today
Applications for Camp Fast Forward are available in January each year, and the deadline to apply is April 1st by 11:59 pm. A completed online application must include the application itself, a copy of your most recent middle school report card, and an assessment form completed by your teacher, counselor, or middle school principal and uploaded with your application.
FAQ & Contact
Need Help?
Have questions about camp dates, eligibility, or what to bring? The answers below cover the questions we hear most often, and our team is always ready to help.
When does the program take place?
Camp Fast Forward is offered each June as a half-day camp running across one week.
Who is eligible to attend?
Current 7th or 8th grade students with a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA who live within the program’s service area and can provide their own transportation to the camp site each day.
Which parishes can participate?
Camp Fast Forward is offered in Avoyelles, Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Vernon, and Winn parishes, with plans to include Allen Parish in the future.
Where is the camp held?
Host facilities include CLTCC campuses in Avoyelles, LaSalle, Winn, Concordia, and Rapides parishes, Byrd Regional in Vernon Parish, LSU Alexandria, and Northwestern State University.
Is transportation provided?
No. Students must have transportation to and from the camp site each day.
What does the application require?
A completed online application, a copy of your most recent middle school report card, and a completed assessment form from your teacher, counselor, or middle school principal.
Do students really get CPR certified?
Yes. CPR certification is part of the camp week, and students complete it at no cost.
Get in Touch
If you have more questions or need personal assistance, feel free to contact us:
info@clahec.org
Drop us a message anytime, we’ll get back to you shortly.
Phone: (318) 443-2855
Available Monday to Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
CLAHEC Headquarters
1308 Dorchester Drive Alexandria, LA 71303
