Baystate Health - Baystate Springfield Educational Partnership

Overview

Baystate Springfield Educational Partnership (BSEP) is a high school health career pathway program for high school-age residents of Springfield, Mass. It includes exploration of health careers, a teen mini-medical school, and summer work employment opportunities to give students interested in health careers direct access to people currently employed in the field and health careers training, which often leads to internships and employment. The program was designed as work-based learning, a strategy that helps students apply academic and technical skills, as well as develop employability skills. BSEP guides the students’ experiences toward college and careers in health care. Instruction falls into three categories: cognitive development (learning through deep explorations and comprehensive observational experiences with new ideas and things); social/emotional development (learning through engagement with self and Baystate employees/mentors); and career development (learning through engagement with internships – learning about processes and the work place).

Impact

Since its beginning in 2006, BSEP has served 1,300 students in the program; more than 200 students are enrolled annually across three course cycles: fall, winter/spring, and summer. Many other students complete the pathway program followed by post-secondary education and/or employment in the field. The program has provided more than 300 work experiences or internships; approximately 90 students have been hired at Baystate over the 10-year period of the program.

Lessons Learned

While the word “pathway” implies a map for students, the actual career pathway process is more like a construction project. BSEP provides the tools and materials, but it is the students that must build the road.

Future Goals

Baystate is making the connections to community health work and public health as the health care model begins its transition to population/public health. BSEP is piloting a community health worker training program with Holyoke Community College, where high school students simultaneously earn high school and college credit.

Contact: Peter Blain
BSEP Director
Telephone: 413-794-1671
Email: peter.blain@baystatehealth.org