Sophomore Year
Students will be recruited in the fall semester of their sophomore year. The HSAA Coordinator and counselors at each high school will determine which students meet the selection criteria and recommend students for selection. Students enroll in the MCC-Penn Valley HSAA College Success course prior to the midyear break and begin attending classes at the start of the spring semester. The students attend classes three days per week for 12 - 16 weeks and are transported to and from the College. Students will complete CPR Certification (1 college credit) and successfully complete the College Success for Healthcare professionals I as a cohort group (60 contact hours).

Upon entry to the program, students will be assessed to determine their proficiency in these academic areas, and an academic achievement plan to address skills gaps will be tailored for each student. An initial WorkKeys diagnosis will help students identify the alignment of the current academic skills and the expectation of a multitude of healthcare careers. The WIN tutorial, a web-based, individualized curriculum targeted to the skills needed in the workplace, will be used by students to help them gain the applied academic skills necessary for success in a number of healthcare careers. In addition, students will work as a cohort and in peer teams on projects that apply the writing, math and reading skills aligned with workplace expectation. Students who do not need work on basic academic skills will have an opportunity to work on advanced projects related to the healthcare field.

Students will also have multiple opportunities to meet with employers throughout the program, coordinated by the Health Sciences Industry Area Liaison. Employer representatives will engage the students in discussion and training opportunities related to workplace expectations ranging from team work, problem-solving, and customer service to punctuality and dress requirements. Students will have an opportunity to work with mentors who are currently working in the nursing and allied healthcare fields. This first-hand connection to individuals in the field will position students for a seamless entrance to the workplace following their coursework.

Career and educational planning will be an important component of the course. Students will have an opportunity to engage in planning related to setting personal and career priorities; identifying specific short and long-term goals; and, creating work plans focused on attainment of career and educational goals. The instructors providing the wrap-around support services will work hand-in-hand with other instructors in the program and the HSAA coordinator to insure that all programs components are connected, career-relevant, and targeted to student needs.

Junior Year
Students moving on to their junior year will begin more intensive course work and training. Beginning in the fall semester, students will shift into course work designed to provide for completion, including certification, of a Certified Nursing Assistant program by the end of the junior year. Students will take Introduction to Allied Health (2 college credits), Biology 150 – Medical Terminology (2 college credits), CNA certification – 175 contact hours including 12 hours per week during the last 7 weeks of spring semester for their CNA clinical experience, and College Success for Healthcare Professionals II (30 contact hours).

Senior Year
Students will have access to variety of college credit classes during the Senior Year, fall and spring semesters. English 101 – Composition and Reading (3 college credits) and College Success for Healthcare Professionals III are required cohort classes. In addition, students may select from among a block of MCC-Penn Valley classes including the following Allied Health Elective (non-cohort) 3-5 college credit classes: BIOL100 – Introduction to Cell Biology, CHEM 105 – Introductory Chemistry for Health Sciences, CSIS 115 – Introduction to Microcomputer Applications, MATH 110 – Intermediate Algebra, PSYC 140 – General Psychology, SOCI 160 – Sociology, and SPDR 100 – Fundamentals of Speech. HSAA students will be given priority enrollment status and join current MCC-Penn Valley students populating these classes.

Program Selection Requirements (Grade 10)

• Attendance at 90% or better  
• GPA of 2.75 or better
• Letters of recommendation from at least two (2) core teachers (English, Math, Science, History)
• Recommended COMPASS scores (75% or above in reading and 70% or above in writing and 40% or better in math.
• Completed application to MCC

Project Outcomes

Student outcomes include: