SCC to host second PILLS Academy for rising high school juniors and seniors this summer
In partnership with the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at UNC Chapel Hill, Southeastern Community College will host the PILLS Academy on June 17 and 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This free two-day camp will immerse rising high school juniors and seniors in the world of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences through hands-on interactive demonstrations, panel discussions with pharmacists and PharmD students and career exploration activities.
Ken Buck, SCC’s Career and Technical Education Coordinator, said the academy accepts 30 students with priority admission going to Columbus County students. He explained that seniors who just graduated may apply for admission to the academy as well as rising sophomores.
“But the main focus will be on rising juniors and rising seniors,” Buck said. “It depends on how many spots are available.”
Buck said that at last year’s PILLS Academy, the camp coordinators and instructors were impressed with SCC’s facilities in T-Building, and they asked to have the same room and set-up for this year’s academy.
“The camp is designed to give high school students a hands-on introduction to the field of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences,” Buck said. “Students will get interactive experiences in DNA extraction, compounding products like lip balm and exploring how medications are created and used.”
Buck explained that students engage with pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists through panel discussions in which they gain valuable, real-world insight into careers in the field. Camp participants will have access to a year-long virtual mentorship, fostering continuous learning and development.
“My favorite part of last year’s academy was walking in and seeing how engaged those students were,” Buck said. “I hope to see the same thing this year but with more of our local Columbus County students in there.”
The PILLS Academy is made possible by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, an American non-profit medical research organization that provides funding for biomedical research, STEM education and areas of career development for scientists. Buck said the fund targets rural areas of North Carolina to spark an interest in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences from rural community students. The current fund supports the PILLS Academy for three years, and SCC will be hosting its second one this year.
“And the cool thing about this is that UNC is partnering with two community colleges in the state to host this camp, and SCC was one of them,” Buck said. “Western Piedmont Community College was the other.”
In addition to free admission, PILLS Academy participants will enjoy a free catered lunch and have breaks throughout the day. Students are responsible for transportation to and from the SCC campus. For more information, contact Ken Buck at [email protected] or 910-788-6239.
