Starting in August 2027, Miami teenagers will be able to head straight into the heart of the city’s Health District for high school, as Miami Dade College and Jackson Health System team up on a brand-new Health Science Collegiate Academy designed to fast-track students into nursing and allied-health careers.
The academy is slated to launch with roughly 75 freshmen and is structured so students can graduate with both a high-school diploma and an associate of arts degree. Classes will initially be held on Miami Dade College’s Medical Campus near Jackson Memorial, then move into a portion of a planned workforce-housing project at Northwest 12th Avenue and 15th Street once that building opens in 2029.
What leaders signed
Miami Dade College says a new memorandum of understanding has cemented what the college is calling a first-of-its-kind partnership with Jackson Health System to launch the Health Science Collegiate Academy, according to Miami Dade College. “We are building a powerful pipeline of future health care professionals,” MDC President Madeline Pumariega said at the signing ceremony, which also included Jackson CEO Carlos Migoya and David Zambrana, Jackson’s president and COO.
Curriculum and class size
Officials say the academy will open with about 75 freshmen in August 2027 and grow over time to roughly 200 graduates per class, according to the Miami Herald. Students will be able to earn a high-school diploma plus an associate of arts degree, and those who complete certificates could jump straight into the health-care workforce after graduation. Applications are not yet available online, but families can sign up on MDC’s website to get alerts about admissions and key dates.
Where students will train
The academy will tap Miami Dade College’s simulation hospital, labs and clinical affiliates on the Medical Campus to give students hands-on experience in clinical environments, according to Miami Dade College. College officials say the school’s location near Jackson’s hospitals will allow students, under supervision, to observe and train in real-world settings across nursing and allied-health tracks.
Why leaders say it matters
Jackson Health leaders are pitching the academy as a direct response to workforce needs. The program gives teens who are, as David Zambrana put it, “bitten by the healthcare bug” a chance to start building careers early, according to the Miami Herald. Carlos Migoya described the academy as an opportunity to “create a living classroom unlike any other,” saying students will be able to see themselves in future roles throughout Jackson’s network.
Next steps for families
Applications are not open yet; MDC and Jackson say they will roll out details on how to apply and enrollment timelines as planning moves ahead. For now, officials and local health employers are framing the academy as a way to broaden pathways into homegrown health-care jobs at a moment when many providers are actively looking for trained staff.
