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Future Health Leaders

Join our Mini-Med School! Explore the world of health care professions at Lewis & Clark’s six-day precollege summer program for high school students (rising 9th-12th graders) passionate about health and healing. Are you curious about a college track in pre-med, pre-nursing, psychology, public health or other healthcare fields? This is the summer program for you! Plus: Summer program students will earn at least $20,000 in scholarships when they apply to and attend Lewis & Clark College!

Program Overview

Dates: June 21-26, 2026
Location: Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon
Tuition: $1,800 (includes food and lodging)
Priority Application Deadline: January 1, 2026
L&C Scholarship: At least $20,000 for admitted students who complete a precollege program
Who Is Future Health Leaders For? High school students curious about a college track in pre-med, pre-nursing, psychology, public health, and other health care fields

What Is Future Health Leaders?

Future Health Leaders is a residential precollege summer program for high school students interested in health and healing. It takes place on Lewis & Clark’s beautiful college campus in Portland, Oregon, from June 21-26, 2026. The program is run by Lewis & Clark’s Center for Community and Global Health.

During this mini-med school, you will explore cutting-edge research labs at L&C, train in specific health-related skills such as CPR, earn and receive Red Cross Basic Life Support (BLS) certification, and be introduced to a range of health care professionals and techniques, public health communications, and the practice of narrative medicine.

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"All of the Basic Life Saving (BLS) training is actually very helpful for careers and makes me feel more confident about babysitting or working in health care."
—Summer 2025 Student

Nina Johnson

"I think this program helped me to be less afraid of failure and to know that success is a process."
—Summer 2025 Student

"I feel that I have a better idea of what I want my future to look like as well as what I want or what I’m good at. I never thought myself capable of medicine but now I think that anything is possible if it’s something I truly want."
—Summer 2025 Student

"I will remember the feeling of joy and love I had while doing sutures and being in the simulation lab. I had never experienced feelings like this while learning something new and I was taught so much about myself in these moments. The light I felt both inside and out is such a memorable feeling that I hope to take with me in what I choose to pursue in life."
—Summer 2025 Student

Nina Johnson

"I didn’t realize I would enjoy certain parts so much (e.g., the suturing, CPR, etc.) or that I would leave with another skill set and mindset I did not have before the camp."
—Summer 2025 Student

Nina Johnson

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100 percent of summer 2025 participants rated their overall experience positively and would recommend the program to a friend.
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Summer 2025 participants either “Agreed” or “Strongly Agreed” that they learned new skills and information.
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What Will Students Learn?

Throughout the week, you will learn how the liberal arts and sciences provide an ideal foundation for health-related college coursework and careers. From the physical to social to systemic, you will explore the many domains of study that connect to health.

You will explore cutting-edge research labs at L&C, train in specific health-related skills such as CPR, earn and receive Red Cross Basic Life Support (BLS) certification, and attend a “mini-med school” where you will be introduced to a range of health care professionals and techniques, public health communications, and the practice of narrative medicine.

While you immerse yourself in life on the Lewis & Clark campus, you will be supported by peers, current college students, staff, and faculty.

Join our Mini-Med School!

Explore cutting-edge Lewis & Clark research labs.
Earn and receive certification in Red Cross Basic Life Support and CPR.
Practice and develop practical healthcare skills .
Collaborate with peers on a Public Health project that addresses health care concerns that matter to you.
Learn about Narrative Medicine and humanities in health care.
Discover a diverse range of health care careers and educational pathways.

Will the Program Be Fun?

Yes! Future Health Leaders will spend the week living in the dorms on campus, making new friends, and experiencing life as a college student. We are excited to welcome you to campus!

Future Health Leaders will explore Portland and the pacific northwest beyond campus. There will be field trips and cultural excursions to Portland classics, like the Willamette River, Powell’s and food trucks, so you can get to know our city firsthand. These off-campus group excursions are led and guided by current LC students and alumni.

How Can I Apply?

Apply using this online application. Applications submitted by January 1, 2026 will receive priority consideration for admission. Applications received after this date will be admitted on a rolling basis, as space allows.

How Much Does it Cost?

The program fee is $1,800. This price covers all on-campus activities, housing, full meal plan, and transportation to and from the airport as needed.

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Earn at Least $20,000 in Scholarship Funds to Attend L&C

Students who complete a precollege summer program and are later admitted to L&C will get preferential consideration for merit-based aid and are guaranteed to receive a minimum of $20,000/year in renewable scholarship funding in the form of a Sequoia or Oregon Maple scholarship.

Sequoia or Oregon Maple academic merit scholarships granted at the time of admission will already take into account any participation in a Lewis & Clark precollege summer program for high school students. Students with strong academic credentials who attend a precollege summer program and are later admitted to Lewis & Clark may find they are eligible for a Sequoia or Oregon Maple scholarship that exceeds the $20,000/year guaranteed minimum!

Future Health Leaders FAQs

You should join the FHL because it offers a unique combination of hands-on experiences including Basic Life Support (BLS) certification and “mini-med school” skill rotation. You will make friends, meet peers interested in health care, and work collaboratively on a public health project. You will build many new connections with many health care professionals and future health care colleagues. You will get a chance to explore Portland, Oregon, and to try out life as a college student!

Total tuition for the week is $1,800 and includes housing, food, fees, and transportation within the program. A nonrefundable deposit of $500 is due within 30 days of acceptance in order to secure your spot. There is no scholarship available for the Future Health Leaders Summer Program.

However, students who complete the Future Health Leaders summer program and are later admitted to L&C are guaranteed to receive a minimum of $20,000/year in renewable scholarship funding.

Future Health Leaders is a weeklong college campus residential experience. Students will stay on Lewis & Clark’s beautiful campus and live in the dorms, experiencing life as a college student! When the academic portion of each day concludes there will be fun activities, evening excursions, time to hang out with your camp cohort, and L&C students.

Yes! Off-campus group field trips are led by current L&C students and alumni. Future Health Leaders will explore Portland classics like Powell’s City of Books and food trucks, and you will discover the outdoor beauty of the Pacific Northwest beyond campus.

During the program, Future Health Leaders students are not permitted off campus by themselves (except in coordination with an RA or Summer Program Director and with the express permission of a parent or guardian).

We ask that students arrive on campus between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday and follow signs to the residence hall.

Students arriving by plane at Portland International Airport (PDX) on Sunday will meet staff at the airport and be safely transported to campus. Students arriving by train or bus will also meet staff and will be safely transported to campus.

Students should plan to depart campus beginning at noon on Friday. We ask that students not depart camp before noon so they can fully participate in the camp’s activities. Students and parents must officially check out with a staff or faculty member on campus.

Staff will provide shuttle service to PDX (and bus and train stations) beginning at noon on Friday. We will make sure every student who needs a ride to the airport will get one!

Prior to the start of the program, admitted students and their families will receive contact information for the Summer Camp Director and Lewis & Clark College Campus Safety.

While on campus, students will be able to contact a member of their RA team 24/7. RAs remain on campus overnight, leading and monitoring evening activities and sleep in the dorms with the students.

Future Health Leaders

Program Overview

What Is Future Health Leaders?

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Skills

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What Will Students Learn?

Join our Mini-Med School!

Will the Program Be Fun?

How Can I Apply?

How Much Does it Cost?

Earn at Least $20,000 in Scholarship Funds to Attend L&C

Future Health Leaders FAQs

Who can attend Future Health Leaders?

Why should I join Future Health Leaders?

How much does it cost? Are scholarships available?

Where will I stay?

Will I get to go off-campus?

Can you accommodate special dietary needs?

When should I arrive? When should I depart?

Who should parents or students contact in case of an emergency?