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Creating Pathways to Health Care Careers in Boston

An innovative partnership between Mass General Brigham, Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, and Bloomberg Philanthropies is transforming the way students prepare for futures in high-demand medical fields.

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Health careers training partnership overview

Health care systems across the country, including Mass General Brigham, are navigating historic staffing shortages and increasing demand for care. Meeting this challenge means preparing more young people for careers in health care.

To address this need and to reflect our commitment to investing in our local communities, Mass General Brigham has partnered with Boston’s Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers (EMK), an in-district charter of the Boston Public Schools (BPS); Bunker Hill Community College, and the City of Boston to design and implement a health careers training partnership.

Supported by a $37.8 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies—one of the largest philanthropic investments ever made in the BPS system’s history— EMK is doubling its enrollment capacity to 800+ students and expanding its curriculum to include new health career pathways that align to in-demand roles at Mass General Brigham. Students will now have opportunities to explore careers in perioperative services, medical imaging, nursing, emergency services, and medical laboratory science, and gain certifications and college credits aligned to these pathways while they are in high school.

Students will also benefit from expanded opportunities for hands-on learning, including:

  • College-level coursework
  • Work-based learning, including after-school and summer placements
  • Career counseling and mentorship
  • Career Days and other interactions with Mass General Brigham health care professionals
  • On-site hospital visits and medical simulation lab experiences
  • Pathways to meaningful, family-sustaining careers within the Mass General Brigham health system

With our long history of nationally recognized youth programming, this initiative will help deepen our longstanding partnership with BPS and EMK. By creating clear pathways from high school to meaningful health care careers, we’re advancing the economic stability and long-term well-being of young people and families in the communities that we serve.

About Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers (EMK)

The Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers (EMK) is a Horace Mann Charter Public High School within Boston Public Schools that empowers students to pursue college, careers, and leadership in the health professions. Guided by its mission to expand access to high-quality education and health care pathways, EMK combines a rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum with hands-on learning through internships, dual enrollment courses, and community partnerships. The academy fosters a diverse and supportive environment where students gain the academic foundation, professional skills, and real-world experiences needed to thrive in higher education and contribute meaningfully to the health care workforce of the future.

Pathways

EMK Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways, co-developed with Mass General Brigham:

  • Health assisting
    Specialty focuses:
    • Patient care technician/assistant
    • EMT
  • Medical assisting (launched Fall 2025)
    Specialty focuses:
    • Operating room assistant
    • Equipment technician
    • Medical imaging aide
  • Biotechnology (coming soon)
    Specialty focus:
    • Medical laboratory aide
How to enroll at EMK (opens external link in new tab)

Key partners

The City of Boston is committed to offering early college and career-connected learning opportunities for every student. The City of Boston and Boston Public Schools (BPS) provide leadership and support for the Health Careers Training partnership and EMK’s planned growth, including identifying a new permanent home for the school. Additionally, EMK students participate in the Mayor’s Youth Summer Job Program at Mass General Brigham hospitals. 

Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers (EMK) partners with Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) to offer an Early College pathway aligned with Massachusetts Early College Designation standards, allowing EMK students to take credit-bearing BHCC courses while in high school at no cost to families. This health care-focused, wall-to-wall model enables students to earn 12+ transferable credits that stack toward BHCC certificates and associate degrees, supported by advising, mentorship, and career exploration in high-demand fields. Built for growth, EMK’s Early College framework also creates a platform for future partnerships with additional higher-education institutions, expanding opportunities beyond BHCC. 

The Mass General Brigham Youth Program offers students from Boston, Revere, and Chelsea a unique opportunity to explore careers in health care—not just by learning about them, but by experiencing them. From hands-on activities to mentorship by health care professionals, students gain valuable skills, build confidence, and develop lasting connections that shape their futures.   

Beginning in 10th grade, accepted Mass General Brigham Youth Program students embark on a multi-year journey that includes career exploration, paid internships during the academic year and summer, college and career advising, and alumni support. Mass General Brigham Youth Programs play a vital role in the larger Health Careers Training partnership between Mass General Brigham and EMK and are additive to the career exploration and skill-building that all EMK students experience. Rising 10th graders at EMK are encouraged and supported to apply to Mass General Brigham Youth Programs.

Clinical leaders from Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in perioperative services, medical imaging, nursing, emergency services, and medical laboratory science volunteer their time and coordinate with their respective teams to facilitate career connections and hands-on experiences for EMK students under the guidance of Mass General Brigham health care professionals. They visit the school and host students on-site to develop skills in the hospital environment. In addition, the Learning Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, the STRATUS Center for Medical Simulation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Gilbert Program in Medical Simulation at Harvard Medical School provide simulation-based training to EMK students to gain critical health care skills. 

Edward M Kennedy Academy for Health Careers has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts (BBBSEM) to provide one-on-one mentorship for students through the Big Futures Mentoring Program. Students work weekly with a BBBSEM program coordinator embedded in the school. Students and their mentors communicate once a week through text or other chat applications and also meet in-person once a month for two hours. Mass General Brigham employees volunteer as Big Futures mentors for EMK students and further augment student support and exposure to health care careers. 

To become a mentor and join the more than 100 Mass General Brigham-affiliated employees who volunteer with BBBSEM, start your application here! For more information, contact Mike Wright at mwright@emassbigs.org.  

About Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Healthcare-Focused High Schools Initiative 

The health careers training partnership between Mass General Brigham and EMK is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ first-of-its-kind $250 million initiative to create specialized health care high schools in 10 urban and rural communities across the U.S. The goal of the initiative is to equip students with the certifications and credentials required to directly enter the health care workforce upon graduation. These schools blend traditional academics with health care-focused curricula co-designed and co-taught by local health system professionals. Students will gain hands-on experience through hospital-based learning and earn industry-recognized credentials. Upon graduation, they’ll be eligible for direct employment in partner health systems—without needing a college degree—or can pursue further education if they choose. At scale, the initiative will serve nearly 6,000 students. 

Contact

Bloomberg Healthcare Initiative
BloombergHealthcareInitiative@mgb.org