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Mr. Perkins: Here in Oakland,
50 percent of the 9th Graders will not complete the 12th Grade.
In an effort to change this sad statistic, Youth Bridge was created.
Youth Bridge is a mentoring program using professionals from all areas of healthcare.
This incredible learning process begins in the spring
with a Health Careers class right here at Samuel Merritt College.
Then in the summer, students from seven high schools in Northern Alameda County
are placed in various departments throughout Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.
They’re paired with a medical professional as a mentor.
This is a paid internship and the students receive experience
in interesting areas of expertise such as
the Emergency Department,
Neonatal Intensive Care,
Cardiology,
Engineering
and the new Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center.
As the students graduate from high school,
they’re offered entry-level training in a variety of fields including
Phlebotomy
and EMT.
In order to work in the Emergency Department, they must have both.
As students finish their training, they’re given an apprenticeship in the Medical Center
and if they succeed there, they can be hired part time while they attend college.
Ms. Jackson: It gives me great pleasure to walk along the hallways of this Medical Center,
see our former Youth Bridge students who did their entry-level training,
their apprenticeship and now are hired at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.
We’re very pleased with their accomplishments in Youth Bridge.
The times have changed. We know we need to reach our middle school children
so we created Youth in Medicine.
Youth in Medicine is a seven-week summer camp
designed to expose middle school students to health and medicine.
Our students participate in labs and academic instruction at Samuel Merritt College.
The 8th and 9th Graders are proud to accompany physicians every afternoon in medical rounds.
One of the things I love the most about Youth in Medicine
is that it takes advantage of the natural spontaneity and curiosity of a middle school
student.
Mr. Perkins: Many of our Youth Bridge students are the first in their families to go to college.
They come to the Medical Center as part of the program
and meet other professionals who were also the first in their families to go to college
and this creates a common experience and a common bond that benefits all involved.
A significant number of our Youth Bridge students have gone on to college
while working part time here at the Medical Center.
The Youth Bridge program prepared them for a bright future.
I, as a resident of this community and as a trustee in the Medical Center,
I’m so proud of the accomplishments that our students have achieved through our Youth
Bridge Program.
They have a rich life ahead of them as a result of this experience.
Our youth gain invaluable knowledge surrounded by positive people.
We create a family of families who care.