Uplift Heights journey into a healthcare-focused high school

The Uplift program will best prepare scholars for careers in healthcare through its curriculum, career exposure, hands-on experiences, and job placements through our hospital partner. Scholars will earn college credit and will be given job preference through our hospital partner either immediately after graduation or after graduating from a 4- or 2-year college. Uplift’s pathway provides:

• Career Readiness: Healthcare classes, healthcare career experiences, mentors, internships, and classroom visits from healthcare professionals
• Jobs in Healthcare: Our exclusive hospital partnership provides scholars with real-world experiences and job placement opportunities, immediately after high school or after 4- or 2-year college graduation
• College Credits: Scholars earn college credits while in high school relevant to their chosen healthcare pathway 
• More Choices After High School Graduation: Through multiple hospital-based experiences, students develop a strong understanding of their preferred healthcare field, empowering them to make informed career choices
• Career Flexibility: Uplift's approach allows scholars to tailor their next steps, whether it's entering a 4- or 2-year college, joining the workforce, or pursuing certification-based roles within our esteemed hospital system

• Biomedical science (focuses on the areas of biology, chemistry and laboratory research) 

• Nursing 

• Healthcare therapeutic (focuses primarily on direct care, treatment, counseling, or health education information) 

• Distribution & logistics (business-side of a hospital system) 

The 4 healthcare pathways offered for study at the high school include those that prepare scholars for both “patient-facing roles” like Patient Care Techs, Radiology Techs, Nurses, and Doctors as well as “non-patient facing roles” that lead to jobs on the “business-side” of the hospital system like medical records technician, billing specialist, etc.   

Each of the pathways offers scholars a range of future careers.  Below are a few examples of patient and non-patient careers and estimated salaries that our scholars will have an opportunity to pursue depending on which pathway they chose and when they decide to join the workforce.  

For those joining the workforce directly after high school: 

• $35,000 - Certified Medical Assistant  (patient) | Medical Records Technician and Billing Specialist (non-patient)
• $45,000 -  Licensed Vocational Nurse (patient) | Forensic Science Technician (non-patient)
• $75,000 - Dental Hygienists (patient) | Purchasing Agents (non-patient)

For those who plan to join the workforce after college (4 year, 2 years, and graduate studies) 

• $85,000 - Registered Nurse (patient) | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (non-patient)
• $120,000 - Nurse Practitioner (patient) | Purchasing and Supply Chain Managers (non-patient)
• $200, 000+ - Medical Doctor & Surgeons (patient)

As details of the grant are finalized, Uplift is excited to share more information about our healthcare hospital system partner. Add your information to the form above to be notified when more details are available.

Through Uplift scholar career surveys, scholars identified healthcare as one of their top 3 industries of interest. Additionally, according to a Texas Workforce Commission Labor Market analysis, the demand for all healthcare occupations is expected to grow at a much faster rate than all occupations combined. Recent projections indicate employment in Healthcare Occupations will grow 18.4 % by 2028, adding more than 190,000 new jobs.

No, at this time Uplift does not provide transportation to and from school. Families and scholars are responsible for their own transportation to and from school.

• Rising 9th graders (current 8^th graders) will be given preference into the healthcare program at Uplift Heights. If they are not interested in the healthcare pathways program, Uplift will support a transfer to a neighboring Uplift school.
• Rising 10th-12th graders (current 9^th – 11^th graders) will continue in the current Uplift programming at Uplift Heights, alongside the healthcare program starting in 9th grade. The healthcare program will grow by one year with the inaugural 9^th grade class until it is fully built out in the 2027-2028 school year. Rising 10^th – 12^th graders will benefit from additional career exposure opportunities on campus. All scholars will have access to alumni healthcare career certification programs with a hospital partner at the conclusion of 12th grade if they are joining the workforce immediately after graduation.
• Rising PreK-8th graders will continue within the current primary and middle schools through 8th grade. At 8th grade, they will have the opportunity to either attend Uplift Heights high school or preferentially attend a neighboring Uplift High School.

The new school will continue to provide services for English Learners.  Individual LPACs (Language Proficiency Assessment Committees) will make recommendations about the most appropriate services for each scholar. 

Families of current scholars at Uplift Heights are eligible for transfers to another Uplift school where we have open seats. See the steps below: 

• Complete an application indicating their first preference their desired Uplift school to transfer.  
  
  • Note:   If a family has multiple scholars that they are interested in moving, they will need to fill out a separate application per scholar (being sure to use the same parent email in each application).  
  • Note:  We highly encourage families to tell us their top three preferences should there be no open seats at their first-choice school.   
    
• Wait for a call or email from an Uplift representative who will acknowledge and process the transfer to the new Uplift school.