The Health Careers Ambassadors Program (H-CAP) supports youth in building basic job skills through professional internships, and exposes youth to various career opportunities within the profession of community health care. H-CAP is a career exploration program that combines professional internships at community health centers with community service projects to practice job readiness and occupational skills. Throughout the course of this 32-week, 10 hours per week program, youth receive financial compensation for their work and on-site academic, career counseling, and personal support.

Project-Based Internships (7 hours/week)
H-CAP currently collaborates with four local community health centers: Brookside Community Health Center, Dimock Community Health Center, Martha Eliot Health Center, and Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center. At each site, youth participate in pre-designed projects and work directly with health care professionals. The projects include pediatric and mental health waiting room outreach, direct customer service with patients, children’s diabetes prevention outreach, WIC patient information outreach, community fundraising, and fitness and nutrition outreach to patients identified by the health centers.

Job Shadow
Youth regularly participate in job shadows arranged by on-site supervisors throughout the year. They are encouraged to explore the different career options within the field of community health care.

Literacy Initiative
Every week during scheduled group time, youth participate in the Literacy Initiative in which they read literature about various health topics. The goal of the Literacy Initiative is to educate youth about these topics and how they affect young people like themselves.

Community Service Project and Group Time (3 hours/week)
The Community Service Project is designed for participants to showcase the progress and the knowledge gained during the program, as well as to educate further the community at large. One example of such a project was a resource guide, created by youth, which featured health information and resources available to the youth of Boston. The resource guide was distributed to the adolescent patients in all collaborating health centers. There is also weekly group reflection.

Support Services
All youth receive educational and employment support services to complement the skills and experiences they are gaining through the internship and the community service project. They set individual goals with the program staff and receive support in achieving these goals.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
Eligible youth must be ages 14-21, come from low-income households in Boston and feel that they face educational and employment barriers. Both participants who are currently enrolled in school and those who are no longer attending school are welcome in the program. Please call 617-524-8303 x303 for more details.