Atrium Health Partnership Continues Preparing High School Students for Health Care Careers
Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences accepting applications for rising ninth grade class
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 15, 2024 – A $26.3 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies has helped Atrium Health successfully launch a new early college program at Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences, part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). The program prepares high school students for well-paying careers in health care and addresses local education and health care talent needs. The program went live with its first cohort of ninth grade students at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has extended its new student enrollment deadline through Thursday, Jan. 16, for non-CMS students to register as a CMS student for the 2025-2026 school year. Once registered as a CMS student, rising ninth graders have until Friday, Jan. 24, to apply to the school choice lottery for the second class of Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences. There are also a limited number of spaces open for those entering the 10th grade.
Adrianna Bird graduated from Hawthorne Academy just before the early college program began. While in high school, Bird took advantage of Atrium Health’s additional health care education opportunities for high school students, completing the PATCH and Rise to Success programs. She was able to gain experience in several roles at clinical locations, including Atrium Health Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute.
“I really wanted to get into health care, but I didn’t know where to start,” Bird said. “My clinical experiences allowed me to branch out and see and explore. I got to learn about so many different aspects of health care that I didn’t know about. The more I did, the more I figured out what career path I wanted to take.”
These early education experiences helped Bird land a job as a patient safety attendant at Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital, in Charlotte, starting her career in November 2024.
“A lot of teenagers want to work in health care, but they don’t know where to start or they don’t know much about the careers and pathways to go on,” Bird said. “Hawthorne Academy allowed me to get those opportunities and meet a lot of great people. I really loved the team and the culture at Atrium Health and I’m really excited to officially be a part of the family now. I’m a teenager myself and we care for patients from birth to teen, so, I love connecting with them.”
Awarded in February 2024, the initial $26.3 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies is supporting Atrium Health, Atrium Health’s Carolinas College of Health Sciences and Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences in co-developing the program and curriculum.
The new early college model fully integrates health care career knowledge and job-training with a high-quality, well-rounded high school and college experience for students in Charlotte, graduating them directly into high-demand health care jobs that offer economic prosperity. Enrolled students experience robust, college-level academic programming, specialized health care classes and work-based learning – coupled with the opportunity to earn industry-valued credentials and certifications, along with traditional high school learning.
The program also includes:
- Option of dual-credit course work beginning their 10th grade year at Carolinas College of Health Sciences
- Hands-on medical field experience through job shadowing, paid summer experiences and internships
Atrium Health is the largest employer in Charlotte, and this initiative creates an opportunity for students to gain direct work experience and access to attractive jobs within the health system immediately following graduation. Specific roles include certified nursing assistants, registered nurses, radiologic technologists, neurodiagnostic technologists and health care simulation.
“It’s difficult to get a job fresh out of high school or college and having this program and its resources is so helpful. I’m so happy that students get to experience this and it’s going to help so many more people,” Bird said.
For more information or to apply for admission, please visit the CMS registration and lottery page.