RichmondCC Hosts Healthcare Academy for 8th-graders

Dec. 2, 2025 – Fifty excited 8th-graders gathered last week in the Grimsley Health Sciences Building at Richmond Community College to take part in a two-day “Healthcare Academy” funded by the Empowering Future Nurses Grant.

“Through this grant, we aimed to create an elevated awareness and interest in healthcare careers among children in the community by exposing them to interactive skills building activities related to healthcare,” said Dr. Qunna Morrow, Dean of Allied Health & Human Services at RichmondCC.

The middle school students who attended the academy on Nov. 24-25 were selected by school officials from Richmond County Schools.

On the first day, the students learned medical terminology and to how to check blood pressure and other basic vital signs. On the second day, they learned how to perform CPR and received CPR certifications for learning this life-saving skill.

“We wrapped up the academy with a Pinning Ceremony. Just like college students who complete healthcare programs at RichmondCC, the middle school children received pins that indicate their involvement in healthcare,” Morrow said. “The academy was a huge success thanks to the Allied Health and Human Services faculty and staff at RichmondCC who assisted over the course of the two days. We believe this was a great opportunity to spark an interest in healthcare for these young students.”