Curriculum

Ambulatory Care Network Community Programs

Logo for the Lang Youth Medical Program

Phase I (7th-9th)

Divided into two phases, Lang Youth convenes every Saturday during the academic year (October through May) and five days per week in July at the Hospital's Columbia campus, providing Lang Scholars with nearly 300 hours of structured programming activities over the course of one year. Phase One (seventh through ninth grade) begins with a white coat induction ceremony and pledge of the Lang Youth version of the "First, do no harm" oath for incoming students. During Phase One, Lang Scholars develop an understanding of expectations they must meet to succeed in a professional environment through mentoring, counseling, and workshops that focus on character building and professional code of conduct (e.g., punctuality, dress code, the correct way to take notes or ask questions, etc.).

They also build a solid foundation in the sciences through interactive, project-oriented, hands-on learning experiences. The program's curriculum is modeled after a "miniature medical school," focusing first on normal structure and function of the human body, then disease processes, and finally on case studies that demonstrate the implications of personal behavior and decision-making on individual and community health. In addition, Lang Scholars hone their leadership skills through a series of workshops and activities (e.g., Outward Bound Urban Exploration), and begin to serve as liaisons between the Hospital and the community through outreach and service education projects, including Healthy Organ Presentations, nutrition and exercise workshops for youth, public service announcements, and science clubs at local schools.

Phase II (10th-12th)

Rising tenth grade Lang Scholars graduate to Phase Two – the Lang Youth College-Bound Internship and Mentoring Initiative. The curriculum for Phase Two – "college knowledge" – is designed to prepare Lang Scholars for successful entrance into a four-year college upon completion of the program. Tenth through twelfth grade Lang Scholars receive intense college advisement and test preparation, go on college tours, and are paired with a mentor who provides guidance, assistance with preparing college applications and scholarship research, and helps ensure college readiness and successful entrance.

In addition to providing college advisement and preparation, Phase Two Lang Scholars continue to study science and learn about their responsibility to local and global communities. Focusing on nutrition-related illnesses, the 10th grade "Healthy Lifestyle" curriculum applies the skills developed in Phase One to an exploration of local health issues in the Washington Heights community. Developed in collaboration with Healthy Schools, Healthy Families and Choosing Healthy and Active Lifestyles for Kids, this unit focuses on health problems afflicting urban communities, the role of policy and advocacy, and the significance community health education and outreach play in addressing these concerns. In the 11th grade, Lang Scholars go from a micro to a macro view of healthy lifestyles. Scholars "travel" to different parts of the world to study global heath problems and learn ways they can become part of the solution. Each unit culminates with a class project that brings awareness to the issues studied each year.

Summer Curriculum

Summer 1: Rising Eighth Grade

Reading-Writing-Thinking Intensive

Scholars spend the summer exploring poetry, analyzing select memoirs, and learning to tell their own stories through personal statements and memoirs. They sharpen their writing skills as they engage in free writing, brainstorming, creating outlines, and peer editing. They also create a class blog and spend time playing outdoor sports and other fun activities.

The Intersection of Humanities & Science: Explorations in Ecology

Scholars participate in a curriculum that blends the liberal arts with science, combining reading and writing with the science of ecology.

Summer 2: Rising Ninth Grade

Exploring Health Careers

In this exciting summer, Scholars shadow health professionals – nurses, perfusionists, neurosurgeons, and Hospital administrators – to gain exposure to the various professional possibilities available in the field of health care. Scholars take group tours of various departments as well as participate in a week of "clinical rotations" through maternity, surgery, emergency department, and x-ray, among others.

College Student for a Week

Scholars spend a week on the Swarthmore College campus in Pennsylvania engaging in a high school preparatory curriculum designed to foment a college-bound mentality in our students. They read Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens and engage in various activities that arm them with positive habits which will guide them towards success as students in their schools and scholars in the Lang Program.

Summers 3, 4, 5: All High School Students

Internships

During Summer Program, rising 10th, 11th and 12th grade Lang Scholars begin the High School Internship Program. The High School Internship Program has been designed to give Scholars a better understanding of the medical and non-medical professions at NYP and beyond in order to inspire them to see themselves as the future leaders of healthcare. Aligned with our philosophy of cultivating young professionals, our internship program provides meaningful, practical experiences in different healthcare-related fields, while developing our Scholars' professional skills. Each year Phase II Scholars apply for an internship position in various NYPH departments and organizations serving the Washington Heights community. The High School Internship Program calls for a four (4) to six (6) week commitment and culminates in a project that benefits the Hospital or the Washington Heights community. On Fridays all Scholars participate in career building and college access workshops. Internship mentors work with Lang Staff to develop specific scopes of work for each internship site, as well as schedules for each Scholar to ensure that this is a meaningful experience for both the mentor and the Lang Scholar. Our Scholars have interned in the following NYP departments and programs: OBGYN, Oncology, Community Health and Outreach, Reach Out and Read, Angels on a Leash, WIN for Asthma, the Center of Radiological Research, and the Cancer Research Lab.