Hands-on learning for students interested in careers in health
HARTFORD — A new program at Hartford Public High School will provide students with hands-on experience as they learn about health care careers.
The initiative, sponsored by Hartford Healthcare, will provide students with a career-focused education experience, combining classroom instruction with work-based learning — such as worksite tours, internships, job shadowing opportunities — according to Hartford Public Schools Superintendent Leslie Torres-rodriguez.
The Hartford schools announced the new Allied Health Pathway at Hartford Public High School at a press conference Wednesday morning.
“This program will help train, develop, and prepare more people to work in the front lines of health care and as we saw in the pandemic, it’s essential,” Hartford Healthcare President and CEO Jeff Flaks said. “So, we’re going to help build the workforce of the future.”
About 35 rising sophomores choose to enroll in the new pathway this year, according to Readyct Internship Coordinator Betsy Caraballo. Readyct, an education nonprofit and longtime partner of Hartford Public High School, agreed to provide the staffing for instruction and secure high-quality workbased learning experiences for participating students throughout the academic year.
“To me, this is the next level of innovation,” Flaks said. “In this model, we’re going to be based in the school, codeveloping the curriculum, providing in real-time: training, mentorship, engagement and practical experiences.”
Flaks said the pathway will allow students to graduate with valuable credentials that can boost their college applications or help them secure employment.
“The amount of professional mentorship, intervention, skill training, exposure, that we’re going to provide in this program is going to ensure that we can harness all the enthusiasm these students have so they’re well-prepared for when they graduate for that next-level opportunity,” he said.
Rodrigo Fabian, a rising sophomore at Hartford Public High School, decided to participate in the pathway this fall because of his interest in the medical field and to learn more about workbased experiences he could later study.
“With this new Allied Health pathway, I am looking to take in all the knowledge that they can teach me here and use later in my future if I still want to be a part of the medical field,” he said.
Flaks said he plans for the program to go statewide, one public school at a time, in the future. “This pathway, this partnership that’s been created, this is going to change people’s lives,” Flaks said. “It’s going to make a tremendous contribution to so many families in our community.”