About FACES for the Future
FACES for the Future San Diego is a comprehensive health careers pathway program that prepares socio-economically diverse high school students from City Heights in San Diego for careers that offer livable wages and upward mobility.
Mission
Inspiring youth to lead by creating innovative approaches to youth development, health careers preparation and wellness. Through their transformation, they change the face of health.
The goals of FACES include
We strive to provide youth from diverse backgrounds and challenges with opportunities to learn about health career options and gain confidence, skills and support to pursue their dreams.
Student Stats
FACES students start the program their sophomore year and continue with their cohort until graduation. They reside in City Heights, a large urban San Diego neighborhood where as many as 40 languages are spoken among its nearly 80,000 residents. It is a richly diverse community with a large portion of residents who are foreign born, primarily migrating from Latin America, Asia and Africa. Fewer than 50% of adults have a high school education, and 35% live in poverty.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Health Careers Experience
WHAT: Introduce students to a variety of health careers where they can envision themselves in a productive career in a health profession.
HOW: Connect students to health professionals who serve as mentors in work-based internships; expose students to professional expectations through field trips and alumni connections.
Academic Enhancement
WHAT: Support each student academically to reach their highest potential in high school, higher education and in career goals.
HOW: Work closely with teachers and school leaders to refer students to tutoring and provide students with academic/college advising; provide healthcare industry panels and in depth career exploration and mentoring; offer enrichment activities such as field trips and skills workshops.
Wellness Support
WHAT: Advocate a soluntion-focused, student empowering approach to resolving conflict with others, teaching students to identify solutions on their own.
HOW: Specialize in providing mentorships, life skills, and a safe supportive environment populated with adult role models who embody the core values of the program.
Professional/Leadership Development
WHAT: Prepare students to become the leaders of tomorrow; train youth to be advocates, culturally competent members of society and strong voices for socially economically diverse individuals.
HOW: Provide enrichment activities designed to highlight policy issues, exposure to diverse patient populations, tools to improve oral and written communication and soft skills trained to be community advocates.
