While plenty of Boston teens spent February break sleeping in or heading out of town, juniors at the Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers were on a very different schedule. They spent the week in a full-time Certified Nursing Assistant boot camp, drilling hands-on skills on mannequins and taking timed practice tests as they prepare to sit for the state CNA exam in April. The intensive review is meant to give students a credential they can use for paid work and a direct entry point into health care careers.
As reported by The Boston Globe, students started each morning with a 75-minute practice test for the knowledge portion of the exam, then spent afternoons rehearsing bedside skills such as emptying urine drainage bags and safe gown removal. Junior Calvin Grayson told the paper, "Some people, during break, they don't have anything to do," and said the boot camp "allows us to study for something that's really important for our lives." The Globe also reported that in the partnership's first year 51 students passed the CNA exam, and this year 52 juniors are eligible to take it.
Mass General Brigham partnership aims to scale training
In a press release, Mass General Brigham said the $37.8 million Bloomberg Philanthropies award will help double EMK's enrollment and add new career pathways, simulation labs and paid internships. The system framed the investment as a way to align high school coursework with jobs at its hospitals and to expand on-site training that gives students real-world experience.
Bootcamp drills and clinical shadowing
The boot camp is paired with six weeks of on-site shadowing alongside nursing aides so students get both classroom and workplace practice before the exam, according to The Boston Globe. Teachers lead careful step-by-step reviews of each skill, saying the many small steps add up to the kind of muscle memory that employers value.
Why employers are paying attention
A statewide hospitals survey found roughly 13,000 vacancies in recent counts, a gap that workforce leaders say makes pipeline programs like EMK's especially valuable. As WCVB reported, the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association's data show vacancies remain elevated for roles such as technicians and other support staff.
What's next for students and the school
The city and district have set out plans to grow the program: BPS intends to add a medical assisting track next year, and city officials are seeking a larger site with a goal of moving the school in fall 2028 to support an eventual enrollment of about 800 students. The expansion also includes partnerships for college credit, with Bunker Hill Community College courses set to be available for EMK students, giving graduates stacked credentials for work or further study.
For students such as Grayson, the credential is practical: it can put money in a paycheck while they continue toward higher education. School leaders say the mix of certification, college credits and paid work gives students immediate options when they graduate and a clearer path into the health care middle class.
