Pathways to Health Careers Academy (Formally known as Opportunity Scholars Public Health Academy)
Pathways to Health Careers (PHCA) is an enrichment program in which High School Students from SPA (Service Planning Area) 6 and SPA 8, who are interested in improving community health through healthcare professions develop skills to prepare them for higher education and building networks within health professions. Students in 10th-12th grade accepted into this program participate in educationally enriching experiences that include a paid 4-week summer program, internship, mentorship, tutoring, mental health course curriculum, SAT Preparation, and college preparation courses. Internship activities and resources help students envision becoming, and practicing serving as public, mental, behavioral/SUD-related and other health professionals and decrease barriers to facilitate accomplishing their goals.
Specifically, students are matched with local organizations providing public, mental, and behavioral/SUD-related health prevention services. Students support community service activities such as planning and implementing community health services, including direct outreach to clients, and preparing for advocacy campaigns, among others. Students may also support organizational capacity assessments, cultural competence assessments, and other external factors/barriers to success. Organizations also participate in the quarterly convening of internship sites to learn from each other and collaborate to address usual challenges and support activities, including student community action projects.
PHCA 2023-2024 Program Timeline
PHCA Cohort 6 Application Dates
The application will open on April 1st, 2023, and end on May 15th, 2023. Selected participants will be notified by May 30th, 2023. All accepted students must commit to a full year of programming.
Application Review Process & Student Interviews
As part of the selection process, selected applicants will receive an invitation to schedule a virtual interview. Students will be notified via email regarding their application status by May 30, 2023, which will indicate if a student has been accepted, waitlisted, or denied.
We highly encourage all students to check their emails frequently to ensure important emails and next steps are not missed.
Summer 2023
Classes take place from 9:00 am - 2:30 pm on Tuesday through Saturday.
June & July
- June 24th, 2023: Program Orientation 10-12 pm
- Complete HIPPA/FERPA Training
- July 5th - August 4th, 2023: Summer Programming
July 5th - July 29th, 2023
- Tuesday - Introduction to Public Health Education (9:00 am -2:30 pm)
- Wednesday - Rites of Passage (9:00 am -2:30 pm)
- Thursday - PHE 110: Introduction to Mental Health Education (9:00 am -2:30 pm)
- Friday - 1st Two Weeks CBO (community-based organizations) Presentation (9:00 am - 11:00 am)
- SAT Preparation/College and Beyond Preparation/Math Enrichment (11:00 am -2:30 pm)
- Saturday - College and Beyond Preparation (9:00 am - 12:00 pm)
- Optional: Tutoring (12:30 - 2:30 pm)
Aug 1st - Aug 4th, 2023
- Tuesday - Introduction to Public Health Education, Final Presentations (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)
- Wednesday - Instant Admit (9:00 am - 11:00am)
- Mentee/Mentor Mixer (11:30 am - 2:00 pm)
- Thursday - Introduction to Mental Health Education, Final Presentations (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)
- Friday - Summer Program Survey and Outdoor Lawn Games (9:00 am - 12:00 pm)
Fall 2023 Session
Classes take place from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm on Saturdays. Optional tutoring follows from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm.
September - November 2023
- September 2nd, 2023: CBO Internships Begins
- September 23rd, 2023: Mental Health Enrichment: Mental Health First Aid Certificate (Saturday programming Training 1) & Tutoring
- Certificate (Saturday programming Training 2)
- October 7th, 2023: Mental Health Enrichment: Mental Health First Aid Certificate (Saturday programming Training 3)
- October 14th, 2023: Mental Health Enrichment: Psychology and Substance Use (Saturday programming Training 4)
- October 21st, 2023: Mental Health Enrichment: Psychology and Substance Use (Saturday programming Training 5)
- November 11th, 2023: Mental Health Enrichment Project Presentation
- HCOP mentor/mentee mixer – Location TBD
Fall 2023, Once students complete the Summer program, they will receive an in-person internship placement at a local community-based organization and are required to complete 182hrs. throughout the program year. Once students receive their placement, students will work directly with the internship site to create a custom internship schedule.
Winter 2024 Session
January - March 2024
Classes take place from 9:00-12:00pm on Saturdays. Optional tutoring follows from 12:00-2:00pm.
- January 27th, 2024: Public Health Enrichment (Community Health Care and Systems Training 1)
- February 3rd, 2024: Public Health Enrichment (Community Health Care and Systems Training 2)
- February 10th, 2024: Public Health Enrichment (Community Health Care and Systems Training 3)
- February 17th, 2024: Public Health Enrichment (Community Health Care and Systems Training 4)
- February 24th, 2024: Family Day (9 am – 12 pm)
- March 2nd, 2024: Public Health Enrichment (Community Health Care and Systems Training 5)
- March 16th, 2024: Public Health Enrichment (Community Health Care and Systems Capstone Presentation Training 7)
- March 23rd, 2024: HCOP Information Session
Spring 2024 Session
Scholars complete their internships and tutoring.
May 2024
- May 15th, 2024: Last day for internship
- May 18th, 2024: Program Culmination 9:00 am -12:00 pm (tentative)/Laptop Returns 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
- May 20th, 2024: Science Day
* Please note: Dates and times for programming are subject to change
Program Contacts:
Selam Hailu Email: phca@cdrewu.edu
Giselle Bood Email: phca@cdrewu.edu
Please see the 2023-2024 Program Flyer below:
Please click here to apply: https://schools.procareconnect.com/register/1ebce6ec-b34b-47f9-852f-1d05405654fb
