CHOP’s Division of Urology Partners with Philadelphia High School to Mentor Underprivileged Students
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In Fall of 2022, CHOP’s Division of Urology formed a partnership with Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School to participate in the school’s innovative Work-Study Program.
Cristo Rey Philadelphia opened in 2012 to provide a top-quality, college preparatory education to students in underserved communities. The school combines a high-quality academic curriculum with invaluable work experience. Every Cristo Rey student works one day per week in a mentored position at a leading Philadelphia area business. More than 90 companies in the greater Philadelphia area that span a range of industries participate in the Work-Study Program.
The Work-Study Program empowers students from low-income communities to develop their minds and hearts and become lifelong contributors to society. The wages students earn at their work study fund a substantial portion of the cost of their education, and students learn and practice critical social and workplace readiness skills.
The Division of Urology signed on to host and mentor two Cristo Rey students this year. The students work in the Urology Clinic in CHOP’s Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care, where they assist with rooming patients in clinic, setting up and breaking down for minor procedures, cleaning exam rooms and medical equipment, and stocking supply carts.
Through their work study, students:
- Develop valuable life skills including communication, collaboration, and workplace readiness
- Gain confidence, self-esteem, and ambition
- Create professional networks that they will carry with them to and beyond college
The program is a win-win for everyone involved. Assisting in clinic empowers students for a lifetime of professional success while freeing up the clinical team to move more efficiently from patient to patient.
“Both students have been a great asset to our clinics by helping with patient flow and they both are very outgoing along with wanting to learn new things,” says Urology Clinic Supervisor, Marianne D. Nazarewycz, of the experience.
To learn more about this program, visit cristoreyphiladelphia.org/work.
