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Career Pathways
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The Pathways Program offers juniors an opportunity to concentrate their studies in and gain wider exposure to a career of their choice. The program's primary goal is connecting students' academic work with potential career pathways. Students develop career connections by combining the high expectations and academic rigor of a college preparatory academic program with the real-world relevance of career and technical education. This integrated approach, used in more than 2,500 schools nationwide, helps students build a strong foundation for success in college, career, and life.
Students who participate in the Pathway program join small learning communities and take a dedicated cluster of courses in their Pathway. Students are co-taught by a group of teachers who take an interdisciplinary approach to each Pathway's course work and collaborate on common curriculum units within the Pathway's course cluster. Additionally, students in the Pathway can take relevant BHCC courses and an internship. For the 2020-21 school year, there are three Pathways available:
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Pathway Core Components
- Academics: All students take rigorous, standards-based, academic core courses united by a cross-disciplinary teaching approach and career theme.
- Internship: all students participate in a Semester-long community- or school-based internship related to their Pathway.
- Performance Assessments: Students demonstrate mastery of their academic coursework through at least three interdisciplinary performance assessments. College Coursework: Students enroll in Bunker
- College Coursework: Students enroll in Bunker Hill Community College courses at CHS to experience college-level coursework and fulfill pre-requisites and/or coursework toward certificates and degrees in their Pathway focus area.
Enrolling in a Pathway
To be considered for the 2019-20 Pathway program, students must:
- Be in good standing in at least three (3) of their four (4) core academic classes (ELA, history, math, and science) at the end of the 2018-19 school year.
- Submit an application to the Pathway program of their choice;
- Be able to take the complete Pathway course cluster while staying on track towards meeting their graduation requirements.
The Benefits of Enrolling in a Pathway
Pathway students have an opportunity to take courses together with a group of students who share common interests.
Pathway students are able to connect with people already employed in their field of interest. Pathway students participate in an internship program, and each Pathway provides numerous field trip opportunities and hosts guest speaker presentations regularly. These activities all support academic learning while giving students real-world opportunities to explore potential careers.
Pathway Course Clusters
When students enroll in a Pathway, they register for a specific cluster of courses that form the core of their Pathway experience. Students must register for all of their Pathway's courses to participate. Students may not register for individual Pathway courses.
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Health & Life Sciences (HLS) Pathways
BioEthics HLS Pathway
Course Number: CXL-370
Category: History and Social Science, Pathways
Credits: 5
Recommended Grades: 11,12
Level: College Prep
Length: SemesterDescription: Should we clone humans? What should we think of the coming genetic revolution? How much control should we have over how and when we die? When does medical treatment turn into medical enhancement ? and should we care? Is rationing health care good, bad, necessary ? or all of the above? This course will explore fundamental moral issues that arise in medicine, health, and biotechnology. Some are as old as life itself: the vulnerability of illness, the fact of death. Some are new, brought on by a dizzying pace of technology that can unsettle our core ideas about human nature and our place in the world. And nearly all intersect with issues of racial and gender equality, as well as policies affecting the world?s most vulnerable populations.
Designed to introduce students to the range of issues that define bioethics, together with core concepts and skills, this course is part of the Health and Life Science pathway for students interested in a career in health care, medicine, policy-making, and scientific research.
English HLS Pathway
Course Number: CXH-141
Category: English Language Arts, Pathways
Credits: 5
Recommended Grades: 11,12
Level: College Prep
Length: SemesterDescription: Health & Life Science Pathway students read a variety of fiction and nonfiction works, focusing on drama, poetry, short stories, novels, and nonfiction. Selected texts explore the human stories and systemic issues prevalent in the health-care system. Students examine a variety of texts that focus on themes present in the patient health care relationship, 12 such as spirit, care, sickness, grief, and faith. They also debate current events in the field, such as prescription drug advertising and the rising cost of health care. Coursework also develops students' patient communication skills through role- playing exercises, video evaluations, and self-evaluation. This is an interdisciplinary class that must be taken with three other HLS core classes: Anatomy and Physiology and BioEthics Prerequisites: Successful completion of English 11 or AP English Language and Composition and acceptance into the Health & Life Sciences Pathway.
Internship - Pathways
Course Number: CXH-872
Category: Pathways
Credits: 5
Recommended Grades: 11,12
Level: College Prep
Length: SemesterDescription: The internship program introduces high school juniors to career opportunities in the fields of Health and Life Sciences, Law and Public Policy and Education. This program gives students the opportunity to prepare for college and career through a rigorous program of study integrating academics and on-the-job experience. Students explore a specific occupation through work-based learning activities that are related to a specific career goal or course of study. The Internship program was designed to incorporate the Service and Work-based Learning opportunities outlined in the MassCore curriculum, as well as the curriculum's focus on Business and Career and Technical education.
A variety of internship opportunities are available through local businesses, departments within the Chelsea Public Schools, and numerous community based organizations. Internship students receive extensive coaching on creating a professional resume, preparing job applications, writing cover letters, and developing and broadening work- and time- management skills. Students must be enrolled in either the Health and Life Sciences, Law and Public Policy or Education Pathway to participate in this exploratory work-based learning program.
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Law & Public Policy (LPP) Pathway
Law and Public Policy - LPP Pathway
Course Number: CXL-370
Category: History and Social Science, Pathways
Credits: 5
Recommended Grades: 11,12
Level: College Prep
Length: SemesterDescription: This course that helps students understand how and why governments and laws are formed, enacted, interpreted, and changed. Students explore diverse areas of law, including criminal law, civil law, constitutional and civil rights, and international law. Throughout the year, students learn about the range of careers in the legal system. This is an interdisciplinary class that must be taken with the other Law & Public Policy core classes: Forensic Science and English for the Law & Public Policy Pathway. (For more information on the Pathways, see Page 37) Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Law & Public Policy Pathway.
English LPP Pathway
Course Number: CXL-141
Category: English Language Arts, Pathways
Credits: 5
Recommended Grades: 11,12
Level: College Prep
Length: SemesterDescription: Law & Public Policy Pathway students read a variety of fiction and non-fiction works, focusing on drama, poetry, short stories, novels, and nonfiction. Selected texts focus on the fields of law and public policy and explore issues such as human rights, school safety, and the conflict between freedom and security. Students produce writing portfolio pieces including a research paper, a college essay, a position paper, and a short story. This is an interdisciplinary class that must be taken with three other LPP core classes (Forensic Science, Law & Public Policy, and Statistics), all of which focus on the same curriculum units simultaneously. Units include: Crime Scene Investigation; Human Nature, Rules, and Power; and Criminal Law and the Pursuit of Justice. (For more information on the Pathways, see Page 37) Prerequisites: Successful completion of English 10, 11 or AP English Language and Composition and acceptance into the Law & Public Policy Pathway.
Forensic Science - LPP Pathway
Course Number: CXL-419
Category: Pathways, Science
Credits: 5
Recommended Grades: 11,12
Level: College Prep
Length: SemesterDescription: This course provides Law & Public Policy students with an opportunity to cover coursework similar to Forensic Science, but in more depth and breadth. Additional curriculum units specific to the LPP Pathway are integrated throughout and topics are aligned with the other core courses in the Pathway. This is an interdisciplinary class that must be taken with the other LPP core classes: Law & Public Policy, and English in the Law & Public Policy Pathway. (For more information on the Pathways, see Page 37) Prerequisites: Successful completion of Biology and/or Chemistry and acceptance into the LPP Pathway. With the permission of the Science Department Lead Teacher, Chemistry may be taken concurrently.
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Education (EDU) Pathway
Course Number: CXH-141
Category: English Language Arts, Pathways
Credits: 5
Recommended Grades: 11, 12
Level: College Prep
Length: SemesterDescription: Education Pathway students read mostly non-fiction works, focusing on text structure, theme, literary techniques, and central ideas. Students read three full-length books in addition to several articles. Selected texts explore issues in urban education, inequalities in schools due to race and socioeconomic status, and how US education differs from education in other countries. Students produce a short story based on an interview, a textual analysis essay, and an argumentative research paper. This is an interdisciplinary class that must be taken with two other EDU classes (History of Education and Teaching Methods), all of which work together to create and implement shared assessments and PAs. This is an interdisciplinary class that must be taken with three other EDU core classes: Education Methods and History of Education. Prerequisites: Successful completion of English 10 and/or 11 or AP English Language and Composition and acceptance into the EDU Pathway.
Category: History and Social Science, Pathways
Credits: 5
Recommended Grades: 11, 12
Level: College Prep
Length: SemesterDescription: A description of the Methods class specifically: Methods is where our education pathway students learn and experience the practice of teaching. Students learn how to create unit and lesson plans that guide students toward mastery. 10 Students will also practice and receive coaching on actually teaching lessons and managing student behavior. The class focuses on best practices in education, with the goal of preparing each student to be an effective teacher in an urban setting.
Category: History and Social Science, Pathways
Credits: 5
Recommended Grades: 11, 12
Level: College Prep
Length: SemesterDescription: History of education traces the evolution of teaching and schooling throughout modern American history. The course starts with an overview of different philosophical approaches to teaching and learning that influence and guide modern educators. The class then explores major topics in the history of education including the common schools movement, industrialization's effects on schooling, the relationship between culture, language, race, and education throughout American history.
