Applications are now being accepted for the Emergency Management Experience West, a free week-long day camp taking place July 27-31 for local female high school students, according to an April 23 announcement. The program aims to introduce rising ninth through twelfth grade young women to careers in emergency management and public safety.
The initiative is an expansion of North Carolina Emergency Management’s programming in the western region and is designed to encourage more young women to explore opportunities in this field. Camp participants will visit various emergency management sites across Buncombe and Henderson Counties as well as Chimney Rock State Park, and will attend a regional hazardous materials training session. Students will also have the chance to meet with female leaders and other key personnel working in emergency management.
There is no cost for students to participate, and lunch will be provided each day. Transportation options include drop-off at the Henderson County Emergency Services Building or arrangements from Buncombe County. Activities during the camp include learning about different jobs within emergency management, attending field trips, participating in a career fair, and networking events.
Academic readiness data from Buncombe County school districts shows that of 2,010 senior students who took the science portion of the ACT during the 2022-23 school year, only 28.5% were considered ready for college according to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. For junior students taking science that year, college readiness was slightly higher at 30.1%. In reading, 41.1% of seniors met college readiness benchmarks while juniors performed better at 43.2%. Math scores indicated that just over a quarter (25.6%) of seniors were ready for college-level work compared with nearly one-third (32.7%) of juniors according to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Interested students must complete an application by Thursday, April 30 via email; questions can also be submitted by email.
