Our Past, Present and Future...
The Bulkeley High School Center of Excellence for Health Professions is operated as a "school within a school." Its curriculum emphasizes health professions; students choose to attend the Academy based on their interest in a career in a health-related field. Our students take part in field trips, and numerous other programs that are designed to assure their success, challenge their intellects, and sustain their interest in health professions. Academy administrators, teachers, students, and parents function as a team to foster student learning and achievement with the ultimate objective for students to go on to higher post-secondary education.
Summer programs were instituted this past year. Six students took part in "Medical Camp", a program offered as a result of collaboration between the Central Area Health Education Center, Bulkeley High School’s Health Professions Academy, and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center. Students shadowed doctors at St. Francis and were introduced to various other areas within the medical field. They also participated in an educational component administered by the Institute for Community Research.
We plan to expand the summer program to include a six-week course stressing science, math, and the health occupations as well as SAT preparation for the 99-2000 year.
Also, this past summer, five of the Academy’s teachers spent a six-week fellowship at UCONN Health Center where they completed a course in epidemiology with Dr. Ralph Katz. As a result of this externship, Drs. Katz and Nelson, visiting UCONN faculty, will be presenting a course on health risks (a primer in epidemiology) to the students in the Center of Excellence. This instruction will develop skills in critical and analytical reading, and writing. This course was further developed by the Academy faculty as a part of its core curriculum and will be integrated across all disciplines.
This year, Bulkeley High School’s Center of Excellence for Health Professions will be on the road for regular planned visits to the UCONN Health Center, its Medical and Dental Schools. There, they will receive instruction on a variety of topics, hear from speakers on pertinent subjects, take part in laboratory experiences and meet with mentors as a part of the Bridge to the Future Mentoring program (A medical/dental student and high school pupil).
In the future, we hope to have teleconferencing capabilities to augment our direct relationship between Bulkeley High School and UCONN. Students and their mentors will be able to meet face to face on an ongoing basis. Programs such as the UCONN Mini Medical Series will be presented, and distance learning programs will be offered to enhance offerings for students.
The Bulkeley High School Center of Excellence for Health Professions asks its students to participate in "service learning" activities. The Academy feels that students should learn responsibility to their community and "give back" by becoming active, productive citizens. To this end, each one of our students becomes a "volunteer". Our students have participated in many Volunteer activities with such groups as: Red Cross, Hartford Hospital, and Riverfront Recapture.
Finally, the Academy is presently in the planning stages to work with the State of Connecticut Department of Social Services to train pupils to become student ambassadors for the HUSKY (Healthcare for UninSured Kids and Youth) initiative. We are excited about this opportunity since students living in the insurance capitol of the world are learning first hand about this facet of health care, its opportunities, and career paths while performing a worthwhile service to their community.
The Bulkeley High School Center of Excellence for Health Professions offers students an opportunity to gain a first class education with a focus on a career path in which they have an interest.
About the Academy/UConn Partnership information /Courses of Study /