Cumberland County Schools will be offering new biomedical college prep classes starting this fall. Douglas Byrd and Howard Health and Life Sciences High Schools are adding programs to areas of study within the schools called academies. Students will study in focused health and science classes while partnering with local health care providers. Suzannah Tucker of Cumberland County Schools says academies require students to gain real-world experience before they graduate.
Suzannah Tucker: "That can range from guest speakers who come into the classroom to internships and shadowing, which could be spending time observing the duties and job tasks with the particular profession. But the work-based learning piece is huge."
Tucker says graduates from similar programs in Cumberland County Schools are more likely to go to college. More than a quarter of students at nearby Fayetteville Tech study health care.