Carlos Falcon, human safety patient simulation coordinator, guides eighth graders from Carrington Middle School on hands-on learning with the human patient simulator at the Trent Semans Center.
Organized by Duke Community Affairs, the event pairs Duke staff and student volunteers with public school students to tour classrooms, labs, dining facilities, residence halls, and other areas on campus to get a taste of what life on a university campus is like.
“Duke’s support has empowered our students to dream bigger, achieve more, and prepare for a world full of possibilities.”
“The Durham schools value School Days for what it provides their students, and the students value it as well,” said David Stein, senior education partnership coordinator with Duke Community Affairs.
In an effort to help lower-income high school students across North Carolina achieve their dream of success, Duke’s College Advising Corps sends student advisors into nine counties and 20 schools to provide them with the support and information needed to make the transition from high school to college. Built over a decade, the program has advised more than 30,000 students and helped families access $35 million in scholarships and financial aid.
Opening Careers in Health care
One of Duke’s newest initiatives is an early college for high school students interested in pursuing health care careers. It is a partnership with Duke Health, Durham Technical Community College and DPS. A $29.5 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies makes the program possible.
“Through this collaboration, we will advance economic stability and economic mobility within our communities by expanding educational and career opportunities, while addressing critical workforce shortages,” said Duke University Health System CEO Craig T. Albanese. The program is expected to open this fall with 100 ninth graders. Additional classes of 100 students each will be enrolled over the next three years.