2026 Summer
Institute
A Vibe Check Experience for Youth Growth, Leadership, and Real-Life Skills
Built for where they are. Designed for where they're going.
Igniting Hope. Instilling Confidence. Inspiring Possibility.
THE 2026 COHORT IS COMPLETE.
We are no longer accepting waitlist entries for 2026. Applications for the 2027 Summer Institute open in January 2027. Add your student to the 2027 interest list to be the first to know when applications go live.
OR JUST GET NOTIFIED WHEN APPLICATIONS OPEN
Tree of Life presentations. Summer Institute scholars share the roots, stressors, and hopes they mapped during Week 2's mental and emotional health lab at our Little Rock classroom.
This Is Not a Summer Camp
The Village Public Health Summer Institute is a structured experience designed for young people to explore who they are, how they make decisions, and how they show up in the world.
This is where learning meets real life.
Young people will engage in conversations, activities, and experiences that help them connect their choices to their future. Academically, socially, and emotionally.
What Young People Will Walk Away With
Participants will leave with skills and perspectives that transfer to every part of their lives.
- Stronger decision-making and critical thinking skills
- Increased confidence in navigating everyday situations
- Communication skills that support healthy relationships
- Exposure to public health, leadership, and career pathways
- A deeper understanding of themselves and others
Civic day at City Hall. Scholars meet Little Rock City Director Kathy Webb to discuss youth priorities, public health policy, and how local government shapes neighborhood outcomes.
What Makes This Experience Different
- Grounded in real public health practice
- Led by trained health educators and youth leaders
- Focused on prevention, not reaction
- Designed to connect learning to everyday life
- Builds both personal growth and future direction
What They'll Experience
Every week is designed to connect learning to the real world.
Decision-Making and Life Skills
Real-world scenarios that sharpen judgment, accountability, and personal responsibility.
Mental and Emotional Wellness
Tools for managing stress, building resilience, and understanding the connection between mind and body.
Communication and Relationships
Skills for navigating healthy relationships, setting boundaries, and expressing yourself clearly.
Team Building and Leadership
Collaborative experiences that develop confidence, peer accountability, and civic engagement.
Creative Expression and Exploration
Opportunities to process ideas, tell stories, and explore identity through creative activities.
Career Pathways and Future Planning
Exposure to public health, leadership, and career pathways that connect learning to real opportunity.
Four Weeks. Real Skills. Lasting Impact.
Monday through Thursday, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, with weekend service hour requirements to complete community-based projects and reflections.
Understanding Me
June 8 to June 11. Students explore personal identity, emotions, stress, coping skills, and support systems. Curriculum: Relationship Smarts and Mind Matters. Student Treasures Chapter 1 writing prompt: What helps me feel safe, supported, and cared for?
Mobilizing Youth Summit, Mississippi
June 12 to June 14. A multi-day leadership immersion in Mississippi. Students join youth from across the region for prevention education, mental wellness, advocacy, and peer learning. Lodging: Holiday Inn Express, double occupancy.
Understanding Others
June 15 to June 18. Healthy relationships, respect, communication, boundaries, emotional safety, and decision-making. Students develop discussion topics and facilitation ideas for the SAMHSA Community Talk.
Understanding Community
June 22 to June 25. Connecting mental health to healing, service, and social change. Students engage in meaningful direct service that reinforces the Institute's belief: healing happens in community.
Using My Voice
June 29 to July 2. Advocacy, public speaking, and leading a community conversation. Final event July 2: Youth Voices for Healing and Change Community Talk plus Graduation Celebration. Writing prompt: What message do I want every young person to hear?
Who This Is For
Youth Who Are:
- In 9th–12th grade (ages 14–18)
- Ready to grow
- Curious about themselves and their future
- Open to learning in a different kind of space
- Interested in leadership and making a difference
A Message to Families
We recognize that young people are navigating a complex world. This Institute creates a space where they can pause, reflect, and build the skills needed to move forward with clarity and confidence.
- Completely free, no cost to families
- Structured, supervised programming four days per week
- Community field trips to local organizations
- Evidence-based curriculum by public health professionals
- Documented service hours for academic requirements
Arkansas LEARNS Act Service Hours
The Arkansas LEARNS Act requires students to complete community service hours as part of their educational experience. The VPH Summer Institute provides a structured pathway for students to earn 25–40 documented service learning hours through meaningful, community-centered public health projects. All hours are tracked, verified, and documented for school submission.
Weekend service components ensure students engage directly with their communities beyond the classroom, building practical experience while fulfilling academic requirements.
Cash Flow: Financial Literacy in Action
Financial management is taught through real experience, not just worksheets. Students earn, manage, and learn to protect their income throughout the program.
$100 Weekly Earnings
Students earn $100 per week for their attendance and active participation in the program.
Real World Taxes
Earnings are taxed based on attendance, dress code adherence, assignment completion, and classroom engagement.
Financial Discipline
Students learn to manage deductions, track their balance, and understand how choices affect their earnings.
Graduation Bonus
Students who complete all service hours and retain at least 95% of their total earnings are eligible for a bonus at graduation.
WEEKLY PAYCHECK SIMULATOR
Each week is independent. Toggle deductions per week to see how choices affect your total earnings.
DEDUCTIONS (TAXES)
CUMULATIVE EARNINGS
$400
4 Week Total
100%
Retention Rate
Earned
Grad Bonus
Students who retain at least 80% of their total earnings and complete all service hours receive a graduation bonus. Financial responsibility is a skill, and this program teaches it through experience.
What Students Walk Away With
More than a summer program. A launchpad for leadership, wellness, and community impact.
25–40 Service Learning Hours
Documented hours that fulfill Arkansas LEARNS Act requirements, supporting academic and civic goals.
Public Health Certificate
Completion certificate recognizing participation in a structured public health leadership program.
Health Coaching Skills
Practical skills in communication, self-awareness, teamwork, and stress management that transfer to school, work, and life.
Leadership Development
Experience designing and leading community-centered projects, building confidence and civic engagement.
Continued Pathways
Graduates become natural candidates for health coaching, group programs, ambassador roles, and youth leadership opportunities.
Community Impact
Youth-led service projects that strengthen neighborhoods, increase wellness awareness, and contribute to healthier communities.
W.E.L.L. Squad. Real Hours. Real Impact.
Our Summer Institute students have already earned 56 collective service learning hours, and we are on track for that number to triple by the end of the four weeks. Beginning with the graduating class of 2027, Arkansas public high school students must complete 75 documented community service hours in grades 9 through 12 to graduate.
Public health is a strong pathway. Every hour at the Institute is tracked, verified, and documented for school submission.
Inside The Institute.
Real students, real site visits, real public health work across Central Arkansas.
Founding Delta Youth Council
The 12 students selected for the Summer Institute will serve as the first cohort of the Delta Youth Council for the 2026 to 2027 school year. Upon completing the summer program, these students transition into year-round youth leadership roles, serving as peer health advocates, community connectors, and ambassadors for Village Public Health.
This is more than a summer opportunity. It is the beginning of a sustained leadership pathway built on the four pillars of the Delta Youth Council: Wellness, Elevate, Leadership, and Life.
Why It Matters
Because what young people learn now shapes how they move through life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Be First in Line for Summer 2027.
The 2026 cohort is complete and we are no longer accepting waitlist entries. Applications for the 2027 VPH Summer Institute open in January 2027. Space will be limited to 12 students who will become the founding Delta Youth Council.
Built for where they are. Designed for where they're going.
OR JUST GET NOTIFIED WHEN APPLICATIONS OPEN