The COVID-19 pandemic, which has left high schools across the nation with hybrid instruction challenges, and has seen potential college students move in and out of in-person instruction, has forced higher education institutions to be creative in establishing new approaches to connect with prospective students, classroom teachers and community partners. The familiar in-person events such as Spotlight, open houses and recruiting visits to meet with students have been replaced with virtual events to ensure the health and safety of all participants.
High schools have had significant time periods devoted to virtual instruction, which has heightened the need for creative recruiting and promoting of programs. Some school districts have not returned to traditional face-to-face instruction since March 2020. Others have changed formats multiple times in response to the pandemic.
To adapt to the changing world, the College of Health Sciences (CHS) has partnered with the Academies of Lexington schools, as well as other high schools across Kentucky and Tennessee to make sure their students know what a College of Health Sciences degree could mean for them in the future. The goal of the partnership is to develop innovative and resourceful ways to showcase the 17 degree programs in the college, career pathways, and the excellent opportunities and resources available at EKU.
Jamie Woolery, CHS Recruitment and Retention Coordinator, and Dr. Shawn Hinds, Jr., Academy Coach at Frederick Douglas High School in Lexington, Ky., collaborated to develop a creative way for CHS faculty to showcase degree programs and career opportunities. To show what an EKU degree means, 25 faculty members from CHS completed interviews about why they chose health science for their careers, and those videos are available in the video library for high school students to view. This library will be utilized by all three of the Academies of Lexington schools, including Frederick Douglass High School, Tates Creek High School and Bryan Station High School.
“There is no going back, collaboration has been simplified by technology. The notion of time and distance have been redefined as it pertains to bringing individuals together for a common purpose,” Frederick Douglas Principal Lester Diaz said.
“Our collaboration on this project provides students at Frederick Douglass High School, and all of The Academies of Lexington schools, with the opportunity to hear the stories and learn from the experiences of faculty who have the practical experience and can provide a real-world perspective for students as they explore future career possibilities,” said Hinds, Jr. “The motto of The Academies of Lexington is ‘Explore your world, Find your Future,' and partnerships like this help students do just that.”
An additional creative partnership with the Academies of Lexington as well as numerous high schools in Kentucky and Tennessee includes the creation of live stream events. During these live stream events, faculty within the college connect with high school students in their respective virtual or face-to-face classes and showcase CHS programs via teaching lessons (with CHS students as part of a class lecture) or demonstrations on areas within the discipline to show what students can do with a health science career or major. In addition, CHS has also showcased the Burrier Child Development Center, Clinical Simulation Center, Food and Nutrition Lab & Kitchen, Occupational Therapy Labs, and Athletic Training Labs, along with various classrooms.
To date, CHS has completed live stream events with the following high schools: Hazard High School, Summit High School (Tn.), Garrard County High School, Madison Central High School, Madison Southern High School, McCreary County High School, Pulaski County High School, Montgomery County High School, and Tates Creek High School. Future live stream events are scheduled or in the planning process for Berea Community High School, Bryan Station High School, Center for Innovation, Cumberland County High School, Fern Creek High School, Frederick Douglass High School, Harlan Co. High School, Hazard High School, Somerset High School, Summit High School (Tn.), Tates Creek High School, and Whitley County High School.
Please visit www.health.eku.edu for more information on the degree programs within the College of Health Sciences.
If you would like to discuss a potential partnership with the College of Health Sciences, please contact Ms. Jamie Woolery at jamie.woolery@eku.edu or (859) 622-2090.