While the primary goal of this Community Health Worker Training Program is to create positive changes to communities through CHWs, the trainees will also be able to use this experience as the first step into the health professional’s field. With the projected shortage of healthcare professionals, one of the goals of this program is to expose high school students from underrepresented communities to a variety of health-related educational and hands-on experiences. Early exposure to the world of professional healthcare workers and witnessing the importance of these professions could make entering the health professions field more realistic for students that once thought pursuing these fields was beyond their reach.
Not only will this CHW Training Program offer health-related skills and knowledge, but it will also train students in various life skills such as communication and organizational skills, hospitality, character building, and more.
To sum it up, our goal is to:
- Increase access and enrollment for underrepresented, under-prepared, or low-income individuals in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM+M) Degree and Certification Programs.
- Increase, sustain and maintain a student population in line with the community strategic initiative for economic development, student recruitment and persistence, and ultimately hometown placement.
- Improve the academic performance, persistence and completion rates of students through coordination of educational programs, resources, and services to support sustained and systemic success for students.
- Promote co-curricular activities that complement student learning outcomes and promote alignment with the workforce agenda.
- Redefine the communities narrative to be a partner in redefining their own student’s persistence and growth in school.
- Help the community to understand education is the lifelong process that allows for meaningful employment in many areas which is directly linked to health disparities and length of life.
