Creating Great Futures in Jersey City
Great Futures Charter High School for the Sciences, which opened in September 2014 with a class of 125 freshmen, is a unique and innovative educational model that is a joint venture between Jersey City Medical Center and the Boys & Girls Club of Hudson County.
“The school will offer different pathways that students can take to achieve their goal of pursuing a career in the health sciences,” Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Gary Greenberg said. “It’s a great way to prepare students to work in places like Jersey City Medical Center.”
Students at Great Futures are taught a core curriculum with a health sciences emphasis in which they can follow one of three tracks—administrative, technical or clinical. Not only is the curriculum unique, but so are the classroom settings. Freshmen and sophomores will be based at the main campus of the school at the new Boys & Girls Club facility in Downtown Jersey City, while juniors and seniors will be located at Jersey City Medical Center to take classes, explore internship opportunities and participate in practicum.
Students will receive instruction in core educational content with technology through integrated projects, case studies, online learning and focused learning experiences.
Graduating students will earn certifications as Emergency Medical Technicians or as Patient Care Technicians who can immediately start a career right out of high school or matriculate to college and study for other medical and health services careers.
Over the course of the next four years and the addition of each new class, total enrollment will reach 500 students.
“They’re going to have tons of experience that other kids could never possibly have, so it really puts them ahead of the game,” Greenberg said.
Jersey City Medical Center - Jersey City
Jersey City Medical Center is a modern 316-bed teaching hospital and the largest provider of health care services in Hudson County. The medical center serves as a regional trauma center, comprehensive cardiac center, perinatal intensive care center, level 3 neonatal intensive care unit, and is a state-designated stroke center. Jersey City Medical Center is also the provider of advanced life support for Hudson County, providing 911 medical call screening for the county and operating one of the state's busiest EMS systems.
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