Valley High School’s Health TECH Academy has been selected to receive one of eight $12,000 Health Careers Training Program (HCTP) mini-grant from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, putting the academy alongside other recipients, such as the University of California Regents and Stanford University.  Valley received their grant through award category A for healthcare career conferences and/or workshops.

HCTP mini-grants, provided by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, are designed to strengthen the educational and social foundations by providing direct and indirect program support for underrepresented and/or economically disadvantaged students to build on as they pursue careers in the health industry. 

Valley High School’s Health TECH Academy will use the mini-grant on their “Your Choice, Your Career” program.  This program will allow Health TECH students to interact with health professionals from a broad array of careers through two career fairs. 

“What makes the program unique is what happens after the career fairs,” said John Buckmaster, Health TECH Academy coordinator at Valley.  “Health TECH students will take what they’ve learned to five Elk Grove Unified School District middle and high schools through traveling health and career fairs.  They will also share their knowledge with the community at cultural awareness and community health education project presentations.  With an increasing demand for health care workers in all fields, ‘Your Choice, Your Career’ can help students and community alike see available options.  Furthermore, the academy focuses on helping underserved and underrepresented populations, which will help us achieve the overarching goal of ‘Your Choice, Your Career,’ which is to help increase diversity in healthcare.”

Valley has partnered with Kaiser Permanente; Samuel Jackman Middle School; Blood Source; University of California, Davis’ School of Medicine; and Stars Sports and Educational Services among others to administer the grant.

HCTP mini-grant funded activities focus on various categories that cover health career conference and workshops and health career exploration. Currently, HCTP mini-grants are offered each fiscal year, with contract activities covering 12 consecutive months.  Click here for more information about the HCTP mini-grants.

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