Simulation Center team provides virtual presentation for high school students

A group of Grand Rapids high school students took a virtual tour of the Simulation Center in the Cook-DeVos Center of Health Sciences and heard from academic advisors in the College of Health Professions and Kirkhof College of Nursing.

The January 30 event was planned by teens from the Grand Rapids Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, the largest and oldest African American family organization in the country.

Tonja Moyer, director of performance improvement for Metro Health-University of Michigan Health, said the teens really enjoyed the event. Moyer has three children in the chapter.

"We have some teens who know what they want to study in college and others who do not," Moyer said. "It's important to have STEM events like this. We want them in these spaces, where they might be able to visualize a future for themselves."

Katie Branch, director of simulation, said the simulation team prepared interactive simulation scenarios for the group to work through following the presentations.

The idea to tour, albeit virtually, the Simulation Center came from Jack and Jill member Leah Garyson, daughter of Briette Bryant Phillips, development officer for Scholarship and Fellowship Giving. Leah said she toured the center in middle school while attending the Summer Health Activities and Professions Exploration (sHaPe Camp) and thought it would be a good fit for the group.