Boston Area Health Education Center  •  Youth to Health Careers After School Program BAHEC, through its afterschool programs, addresses issues relevant to adolescent development, by emphasizing positive, protective factors such as creativity, leadership, and responsibility.  Parental involvement and support is encouraged and regular contact with teachers and guidance counselors is maintained.  Much of the success that this program has had in engaging students stems from the positive role models provided by the staff and academic coaches. Academic Coaches and mentors are recruited from a pool of medical students from the adjacent Boston Medical Center Campus as well as college students from the community. The diversity of our students is mirrored in our academic coaches and staff.  Students participating in academic year programs are encourage to apply and continue in the Youth to Health Careers (Y2HC) Summer Enrichment Program. Structured Activities: Students are invited to enter structured afterschool programs for two –three afternoons a week for 26 weeks. On Friday afternoons, cultural enrichment field trips and recreational activities are offered to all students Academic Clubs: An emphasis on Math, Science and English.  These clubs operate twice weekly from 3:00 – 5:30 at the Boston University School of Medicine and BAHEC Campus. Health Career Specialty Clubs: Clubs include Technology, Maternal Child Health, and Environmental Health. These clubs operate twice weekly from 3:00 – 5:30 at the Boston Medical Center and BAHEC Campus. Teen Wellness Clubs: Gender-based clubs that are co-facilitated by youth who explore topics that concern youth, including adolescent mental and emotional health, managing stress and peer pressure, leadership development and civic engagement, community activism, and sexual health. Youth to Health Careers (Y2HC)/Health Education Careers Network (HECN) Afterschool Program: Y2HC is a structured afterschool “School-to-Work” initiative for BPS students. Components of the program include a health career exploration through a closely supervised internship, health education workshops, academic support, vocational workshops and individual case-management. Students receive community service credit for participating in this program. This program operates twice weekly in collaboration with BPS School-to-Career Office from 3:00 – 5:00 at the Boston Medical Center and BAHEC Campus. Afterschool Internships Program: Internships encourage scholars to gain valuable work experience and first hand knowledge of the health professions. The internship program utilizes a “Learn and Earn” approach that emphasizes job readiness skills, practical work experience in the health care field, mentoring, and academic learning. These clubs operate twice weekly from 3:00 – 5:30 at the Boston Medical Center and BAHEC Campus. E-Learning Programs: Last year high school participants in BAHEC the summer and after-school programs helped design and develop “OssieMoore, Disease Detective,” an interactive e-learning course which focuses on public health issues and helps students develop math, analytic and technology skills. The scripts and characters were researched and co-written by students and staff. The course is accessible on-line and involves OssieMoore, Disease Detective, an animated character pursuing public health cases.  One case involves a cohort study of Spring Break Fever among a group of students at a beach resort.  Students utilize statistical tools to foil a fiendish plot to spread an infectious disease through genetically engineered birds. This course operates twice weekly from 3:00 – 5:30 at the BAHEC Campus. Unstructured Activities: Computer Center: The computer center is equipped with Windows 95, Internet access and SAT prep software and open 5 days/week for students and families. College Prep and Financial Aid Workshops for Students and Parents: BAHEC team members work with each individual student [and family] to develop a college application action plan, including a process for identifying colleges, and assessing whether the academic program meets the scholar’s interests and educational needs. (Individual meetings and monthly workshops are offered) All BAHEC students have full access to our on-site College Resource Room, that includes materials include career literature, college catalogues, and financial aid and scholarship information readily available to all BAHEC students. SAT Preparation & College Application Waiver Site: BAHEC has partnered with Kaplan to offer an SAT preparation program with proven results. BAHEC is also an Educational Testing Services (ETS) waiver site for both the SAT application fee and college application fees. All students enrolled in BAHEC programs are eligible for 3 SAT application fee waivers and 3-college application fees waivers. Guest Speakers & Panels: BAHEC brings in an extremely diverse group of health professionals to instruct and speak with student scholars about their educational and career experiences, including the role of culture in the health professions. Scholars also hear speakers on culture-specific and community-based topics such as violence as a public health concern, the social determinants of health, LGBT health, men’s health, and women’s health. Mentors and academic coaches also represent a diverse cross-section of racial, ethnic and other communities. PRIDE –Theater Arts to read: An innovative theatre arts program which focuses on improving students’ team-building, research, writing and communication skills as they develop artistic and dramatic presentations on health topics, including the affects of violence, and other health disparities. Youth Advisory Board : Designed to engage students in leadership, governance, advocacy and public health program development and design, YAB represents the youth voice of the Boston Public Health Commission. Peer-elected student-scholars actively address health disparities through youth-driven and managed public health projects and collaborations, including producing the anti-violence documentary VIBE: Violence Intervention By Educating and informing the development of literature on topics such as teen depression and mental health. Fun Fridays: South End Fitness Center – To improve their overall health, BAHEC scholars have access to a gym and swimming pool run by the BPHC in the same building housing BAHEC. The students are able to interact with health professionals from the Boston Medical Center Campus who work and exercise at the facility throughout the year. Field Trips – to colleges and cultural events are offered on Friday afternoons. For more info contact: Boston Area Health Education Center (617) 534-5258(p) (617) 534-5761(f) bahec@bphc.org 1 BMC Place, NEB-2 Boston, MA 02118      Search Our Site