Aerial view of the CHLA Anderson Pavilion Building.

CAMP CHLA - Health Care Career Exploration

About Camp CHLA

Camp CHLA is a 5-day, in-person healthcare career exploration camp offered twice per summer for high school students to explore, learn, and participate in the inspiring work that our team members do every day. At camp we host activities for students including but not limited to:

  • Presentations from select healthcare professionals detailing their personal career journeys and “day-in-the-life” details about their roles
  • Hands-on skills in health promotion and disease/injury prevention, such as CPR, first aid, body ergonomics and more
  • Networking opportunities for a group of students with similar interests in CHLA’s mission and vision as a potential career path
  • Real-life and up-close exposure to the fascinating world of healthcare and the lifesaving work happening throughout the hospital

Session Dates

Camp CHLA Session #1

  • June 16th – June 20th, 2025

Camp CHLA Session #2

  • July 28th – August 1st, 2025

Camp CHLA Information Session - Q&A

Please join us for an information session on all things Camp CHLA. We will review dates, eligibility requirements, frequently asked questions, required onboarding documents, and open the floor to questions.

We welcome parents/guardians, prospective campers and volunteers. We hope to see you there!

Eligibility

  • Only current freshmen, sophomores, or juniors in high school who live in Los Angeles County are eligible to apply
  • If you have attended Camp CHLA before, you are not eligible to apply
  • You must be able to attend all 5 days of the session (approx. 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
  • On your online application, you will have the option of providing your first and second choice for sessions
  • If you do not have a preference, you will be able to choose “No Preference”
  • If you are unavailable for one of the sessions, you will be able to choose “Not Available”

Important Dates & Deadlines

  • The Camp CHLA 2025 Application Portal will be open December 13th, 2024 - January 10th, 2025.
  • The application portal will close on January 10th, 2025, 11:59 p.m.
  • Applicants for Camp CHLA will receive a notification from our team regarding their admission status by Monday, April 28th, 2025

How to Apply

The application has two major components:

#1 – Essay questions

  1. Explain why you are interested in attending Camp CHLA. Please include an experience related to healthcare that has sparked your curiosity. (200-250 words)
  2. Describe a personal experience when you were challenged due to the complexities of being in a diverse environment, and how you navigated this experience. How did this experience change you and your approach to understanding the perspective of others from different backgrounds? (Your answer may come from any experience and does not have to specifically be related to health care.) (max. 250 words)
  3. At CHLA, we strive to provide patient- and family-centered care. Describe a personal experience where you supported or advocated for someone or a group of people in need and the resulting impact. (Your answer may come from any experience and does not have to specifically be related to health care.) (max. 200-250 words)

As the portal closes promptly at the application deadline, 11:59 p.m. January 10th, 2025, we highly suggest that you complete your essays beforehand so that you are ready to submit as soon as the portal opens.

We also suggest that you use a computer for this process as previous applicants have been unable to copy and paste their essays into the modules using a tablet or other mobile device.

#2 – Applicant information

  • Basic Demographic Information (voluntary and self-reported)
  • Your info: Home phone + Cell Phone + Email
  • Parent(s)/Guardian(s) info: Work phone(s) + Cell phone(s) + Email(s)
  • Estimated number of family in household + highest level of education in household
  • Name of school + Expected year of graduation
  • (If applicable) Name of parent/family member employed at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles + their department at CHLA

If you mainly use a school-related email, we highly suggest that you create a Gmail, Yahoo, etc. account to ensure that you receive all emails from Camp CHLA. (School email servers having rejected our emails in the past).

Tuition/Fees

There is no charge to attend Camp CHLA.

We sincerely thank the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) for the Health Careers Training Program Grant, the generous donors who have underwritten Camp CHLA, and the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Staff for their support and dedication.

Click here for Camp CHLA onboarding requirements

If Selected for Camp CHLA:

  • Participants will be required to submit onboarding documents to the Camp CHLA Portal
  • The link will be provided to you once the portal is ready
  • The username and password will be the same as the log-in you use for your application

If You Are Waitlisted:

  • Participants will receive a waitlist number
  • Please have the required onboarding documents prepared if you are selected
  • The link will be provided to you once the portal is ready
  • The username and password will be the same as the log-in you use for your application

Transportation

Participants will need to provide their own transportation to and from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Additional Information

Click here for our list of FAQs.

Click here for our flyer.

Volunteering

Only Camp CHLA alumni are eligible to apply to volunteer for camp.

Click here for more information about applying to become a Camp CHLA Volunteer.

Other CHLA Program Opportunities