By: Jessica Chow and Christine Wu, staff writers
After seeing more and more students dropout of school, science teacher Mr. McDowell decided to start the Health Academy pathway to help students stay in school by teaching them valuable career skills. The Health Academy has been around for more than 20 years at Galileo and continues to be a popular choice for juniors and seniors interested in pursuing a career in the medical field.
The Health Academy as it is currently offered, did not happen overnight. To start the Health Academy, Mr. McDowell had to establish partnerships with a college, and make meaningful ties with people in the health industry. Also, he had to find community partners, create curriculum, and partner with English teachers.
When the Health Academy first started, some of the activities included; visiting hospitals once a week, and taking city college courses. Additionally, since 2004, the class has taken trips to Sacramento to do health legislation. They’ve also worked with the American Health Association to become lobbyists and advocates for change in the Good Samaritan Law.
Mr. McDowell also needed to search for funding, so he met with different foundations and wrote grants to be able to keep the program afloat. The money given to the Academy covered the salary of the city college teachers.
Once the Health Academy became more established, the Health Science and English classes linked together to build connections further within the classes. Students in the Health Academy also work with hospitals to learn about different career possibilities.
Juniors take medical terminology and anatomy classes, and seniors go through EMT training, which gives them hands-on learning experience on helping people in emergency situations, both through City College.
Students in Health Academy also learn how to perform CPR, deliver a baby, take blood pressure, splint every joint on the body, etc. They also learn about mental health and healthy eating. Past students that have graduated college and gotten jobs come back to thank Mr. McDowell for providing them with a great way to achieve their goals
Overall, Mr. McDowell has been happy to see how his vision has played out. He says, “Students need to make a connection with what they are learning in the classroom, to what they want to do with their futures.”
