Health Care Careers Exploration Program
Health Care Careers Exploration Program
Registration for the 2025 Health Care Careers Exploration Program is now open!
This year’s program dates are:
July 26-31, 2025
Interested in pursuing a career in the fast-growing field of health care?
The Health Care Careers Exploration Program will help you explore a range of career options in the field and learn about important issues in health care. This information can help you select a major when you have chosen a college.
When: July 26 – 31, 2025
Where: Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
Application Deadline: April 30, 2025
You will:
- Attend medical demonstrations
- Participate in group activities and discussions
- Be part of hands-on demonstrations in biology, exercise science, medical laboratory science, microbiology, nursing, nutrition and more.
- Become CPR/First Aid certified
You also will get a taste of life on a college campus, make new friends and have fun!
Students who attend HCCEP can receive a $1,000 scholarship and an application fee waiver when enrolling at RIT/NTID.
Please note that this scholarship cannot be combined with awards from other summer programs.
Activity Details
- The Health Care Careers Exploration Program is co-ed and will enroll 24 students.
- All students participating in the program stay at Rochester Institute of Technology in the Mark Ellingson Residence Hall. A residence director and staff provide supervision, and the student staff ratio is around 6:1. Three meals a day are included and provided at the Grace Watson Dining Hall.
- The exploration activities promote an understanding of career options and the skills required for individuals to succeed in the health sciences career area.
- The goals of the program are to provide college-bound students with the opportunity to have a hands-on experience in career areas related to a future in health sciences. Students will develop an understanding of the technical, professional and liberal arts preparation necessary to be successful in that career area.
- Students are assigned to homeroom groups, each of which is led by a program counselor. Each day the students attend classes with hands-on activities in different health science and related areas.
- Some of the activities will be provided in labs and classrooms in Lyndon Baines Johnson Hall, Rosica Hall, the Student Development Center and the Center for Bioscience Education and Technology (CBET), and some activities will be through field trips off campus.
- In the evening, the students participate in a variety of activities such as swimming, bowling, and other sports, going to movies, and visiting sites of interest in the Rochester community. Some of these events will occur off campus at locations managed by third-party providers. Transportation will be provided by third-party providers during the activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Health Care Careers Exploration Program is aimed at students who might be interested in pursuing a career in the fast-growing field of health care. The program will help you explore a range of career options in the field and learn about important issues in health care.
Deaf and hard-of-hearing students who are entering 10th, 11th or 12th grade in fall of 2025 and are in excellent academic standing.
Applicants must submit:
- A high school transcript and audiogram along with their application,
- A short essay or paragraph indicating why they want to attend this program and what their long term goals might be in the health care profession.
Each day, students will participate in exciting classes doing hands-on activities with a group of 10 – 12 other students and the counselor assigned to your group. During this program, you will:
- Learn about different careers in health care
- Discover what types of careers you are interested in
- Attend medical demonstrations
- Enjoy field trips to area medical facilities
- Participate in group activities and discussions
- Be part of hands-on demonstrations in biology, exercise science, medical laboratory science, microbiology, nursing, nutrition and more.
- Become CPR/First Aid certified
Students also will get a taste of life on a college campus, make new friends and have fun!
- The cost is $850 and covers room, board, and all activities—everything but spending money, transportation to our campus, and the optional linens rental ($45.00). You can pay by check or if you are paying by credit card, you can use the online payment form.
In some states, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), or a similar office, will pay some or the entire fee. To find out, contact your VR counselor or the state VR office. There are limited scholarships available based on your financial need. If you would like to apply for a scholarship, please complete the Financial Assistance form.
Please complete and submit the online application, then immediately after completing it, mail the official transcript, the unaided audiogram and the essay to the address in the Apply Now! section of this page.
If you are accepted into the program, you will receive an official acceptance letter by mail. In addition, you will be directed to go online to print and complete the required program forms and mail them to us with payment by May 31, 2025.
Each student will share a room with another HCCEP roommate on campus in one of the residence halls. This is a great way to get a taste of college living!
Three meals a day are provided at the program, and students will have food catered or eat at RIT dining halls. There are vending machines and other places on campus to grab a snack if students get hungry between meals.
Arrive at room 1300-1310 of the Student Development Center between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm on Saturday, July 26. You can check in there.
If your parents or guardians are coming and plan to stay in Rochester, we provide a list of hotels online.
If you are unable to arrive within the check in time period, please let us know of your expected arrival time on the Transportation Form. We will work with you to arrange travel and check in.
The program ends on Thursday, July 31. You will need to check out of the residence hall and return your room key between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
You are responsible for arranging transportation to the program. If you are flying, we recommend you fly into the Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC).
Even though the flight to Buffalo may be cheaper, Buffalo is at least an hour away and the ground transportation from there to Rochester may make the trip more expensive.
**Students departing on Amtrak westbound (toward Chicago) please contact Health Care Careers Exploration Program before purchasing tickets.
- From the Rochester airport, train or bus station, shuttle transportation is available directly to RIT for $10 each way. Let us know if your student wants shuttle transportation, and we will make reservations for him or her.
- There will be a representative from Apple Transportation present at the baggage claim area (Look for the "Health Care Career Exploration Program" sign and drivers with “Apple” logos on shirts or logos on the shuttle) at the airport to pick up students.
- No matter which mode of transportation and/or arrival time, if we have your transportation information, and you requested the shuttle, we will have someone there to meet you.
For emergencies, please call RIT Public Safety at 585-475-3333.
All of the following items are a must for your comfort and well-being!
- Pillow, sleeping bag or extra-long single sheets and blankets. If you forget to bring linens, there will be a $45 charge to rent them. This may be the preferred method for students who are flying and don't want to pay extra luggage fees.
- Photocopy of your medical insurance card
- Bath towel, face towel, and wash cloth
- Your own toiletries: soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, band-aids, sun screen/lotion, shampoo, comb, blow dryer, etc.
- Sneakers, jeans, sweatshirts, shorts, t-shirts, underwear, socks, a rain-resistant jacket, walking shoes
- Laundry facilities are available (bring laundry detergent if you plan to wash clothes)
-
Spending money for campus bookstore or snacks
Fundraising Ideas
Teachers, students and parents often ask for fundraising ideas to help defray the costs of travel to or registration for competitions, programs or camps.
Here are some group fundraising ideas:
- Check with a high school counselor to inquire what other organizations at the school have done to fundraise.
- Burger/Pizza Night Fundraising: ask a local franchise or restaurant to host a fundraising event on a particular date at a specific time. For example, if a parent of a student at the school owns a restaurant, they may allow you to hold a pancake breakfast fundraiser on a weekend morning.
- Greeting card or calendar sale: students make and sell cards/calendars for special events.
- Sell sweatshirts, t-shirts, jewelry, wristbands, or an assortment of those things with school mascot logo.
- Sell cookie dough, popcorn, magazines, chocolate candy bars, carnations, candles.
- Host a bake sale at school or church.
- Have a car wash.
And a few ideas for individual fundraising:
- Offer services in neighborhood such as:
- babysitting
- yardwork
- painting or other labor intensive work
- reach out to local chapters of community organizations such as the Elks Lodge, Lions Club, Rotary Club, etc.
Google "student fundraising ideas" to see what kind of ideas you can discover. One great website example is: Fundraising Ideas
Apply Now!
Application Process
Who is this program for?
Deaf and hard-of-hearing students who are entering 10th, 11th or 12th grade in fall 2025 and are in excellent academic standing may attend.
- an official high school transcript,
- an unaided audiogram,
- a short essay or paragraph indicating why they want to attend this program and what their long term goals might be in the health care profession.
Cost: Program fee is $850 per student and includes meals, lodging and all educational and recreational activities. Please pay by check or use the Online Payment Form. Financial assistance is available.
Please send any checks and requested items above to:
NTID Health Care Careers Exploration Program
Rochester Institute of Technology
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the Health Care Careers Exploration Program, contact us using the form below or using the address or phone numbers listed.
Students, please fill out the Learn More form if you're interested in learning more or participating in the next Health Care Careers Exploration Program.
Health Care Careers Exploration Program
Rochester Institute of Technology
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Lyndon Baines Johnson Building
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623
Email: ntidoutreach@ntid.rit.edu
Phone: 585-475-7695
Videophone: 585-286-4555
Text/FaceTime: 585-448-9651