Wallace State Hosts First Little Lifesavers Camp, Welcomes More Than 100 Young Learners

HANCEVILLE, Ala. — Wallace State Community College welcomed more than 100 youth to campus for the first Little Lifesavers Camp hosted by the Department of Nursing Education. 

Held over two days, the camp offered fun, educational activities for students entering third through sixth grades who are interested in learning about science and healthcare. The event also served as a clinical learning experience for more than 100 Wallace State Nursing students. 

“Little Lifesavers Camp is a wonderful example of experiential learning that benefits everyone involved,” said Dr. Jim Malone, Dean of Health Sciences. “Our nursing students gain valuable pediatric communication and teaching experience while inspiring young learners to explore science, healthy living and future careers in healthcare. We are proud to invest in the next generation of healthcare professionals and the communities they will one day serve.”

Nursing instructor Katie Findley said the camp gave students an opportunity to complete pediatric clinical coursework by working directly with elementary-aged campers. 

“This helped the students enhance their communication skills and ability to teach the pediatric population about nursing and health. It also improved their knowledge of pediatric growth and development,” Findley said.

Nursing students were assigned groups of campers and guided them through seven interactive rooms throughout the day. Activities included Wellness Wonderland, Character Parade, Building Mathletes, Creative Compassion, Blood Typing, Professional Identity and the ER. 

Wallace State Nursing student Lacey Stewart of Grant lets a Little Lifesavers Camp attendee listen to her heart through a stethoscope.

Lacey Stewart of Grant was assigned to the Wellness Wonderland room. 

“We’re jumping rope, teaching hand hygiene, hydration and basic nursing skills, such as wound care,” Grant said. “We teach them about nutrition and we do some yoga.” 

The lessons are designed to encourage children to stay active, eat a healthy diet and stay hydrated. Campers also learned how to properly wrap a basic wound. 

Wallace State Nursing student Jarrell High of Birmingham watches as a student completes an activity in the Building Mathletes room during the Little Lifesavers Camp held recently at the college.

Jerrell High of Birmingham was assigned to the Building Mathletes room, where he instructed students about symmetry by completing drawings of faces. 

“The main point of this as a nurse is if they see one side of the face and the other side looks different, like if they have a droopy eye or a cut, they may need to go to the doctor to see what’s going on,” High said. 

Both Stewart and High appreciated the opportunity to interact with children.

“Most of us in our clinicals are working with older adults,” said Stewart. “We don’t get the child interaction very often and you have to learn how to speak to children differently than adults. You have to explain things in a way they can understand rather than using nursing terms.”

High agreed, noting the importance of adapting communication methods when working with children.

“For example, if a kid comes in and their stomach hurts, we’ll ask them to point to a face that shows how they feel instead of asking them to rate their pain on a scale of 1 to 10,” High said. “We’ll use a scale that has different facial expressions, like a sad face, a smiley face, a medium face. It just helps us communicate better with the kids.”

Plans are in the works for the second Little Lifesavers Camp next summer, Findley said. 

Wallace State Nursing students assist students in the Blood Typing room during the Little Lifesavers Camp held recently at the college.

The Wallace State Nursing program is currently accepting applications for Spring 2027. For more information, visit www.wallacestate.edu/nursing, email nursingapplicant@wallacestate.edu or call 256.352.8119.

Registration for the Fall 2026 semester is underway, with classes for Regular and Mini Term I beginning Aug. 17 and Mini Term II classes beginning Oct. 14. Visit www.wallacestate.edu for more information. For assistance with admissions, financial aid or registration, contact Lion Central at 256.352.8236 or lioncentral@wallacestate.edu. 

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About Wallace State

Wallace State Community College (Ala.), a member of the Alabama Community College System, is a comprehensive community college in north central Alabama offering more than 200 options in academic, health and technical programs of study leading to an associate degree, certificate or transfer, as well as workforce-credit training and adult education. An Achieving the Dream Leader College, nationally recognized by the Aspen Institute as a Rising Star for the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, ranked by Southern Business and Development among the Top 3 institutions in the South for workforce development, named a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing and the National Security Administration, rated the Top Online Community College in Alabama, a Military Friendly Institution and an All-Steinway School, Wallace State is an outstanding place for students to pursue their education and career goals. Classes are offered online and on campus, day, evening and on weekends, with numerous start dates each year. Visit Wallace State’s beautiful main campus located on 300-acres in Hanceville, Ala., our satellite location in downtown Oneonta, Ala., find us online at www.wallacestate.edu, or call 256.352.8000.