In the ever-changing field of education, three local schools are partnering to provide students with opportunities that go beyond a standard curriculum to prepare them for jobs in the health care industry.

The Health Academy-Health Tech Prep program will allow approximately 20 juniors at Dawson-Bryant and Ironton high schools next year to get an early start on classes that will prepare them for work or school in health fields, while still spending most of their time at their high schools.

"Some students are more comfortable staying at their home schools," said Collins Career Center Superintendent Steve Dodgion. "We will probably get students this way that would not come to Collins otherwise. It is a good opportunity for the students.

"Too many of our young people are leaving this area. This is an opportunity for some of them to stay here."

Many education programs in the health field, require certifications before entering the programs.

The Health Academy will allow students to receive certifications such as nursing assistants, phlebotomists (blood collection), EKG technicians, pharmacy technicians and patient care technicians.

Students will take courses including anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, medical ethics, legal ethics and illness prevention.

Some of these may translate into college credits at local universities.

Articulation agreements are being discussed with Marshall University's Community College, Shawnee State University, Ohio University Southern and others.

The program will work well with respiratory therapy, nursing and surgical tech programs already offered at Collins through Marshall, Dodgion said.

According to reports from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, health care occupations are expected to account for one in every seven new jobs within the state.

"This is really a service high school curriculum cannot offer," Brenda Haas, principal of Dawson-Bryant High School, said. "Collins Career Center can."

Dawson-Bryant Superintendent James Payne agreed that this program can help young people stay in the area, but still find a quality job.

"Schools are changing -- (state superintendent for public instruction) Dr. (Susan Tave) Zelman made that clear during her visit here," Payne said. "We can no longer offer traditional college prep courses and feel like we are preparing our students for the workplace.

"This program serves a lot of different purposes. It makes educational packages relevant to the students and provides a wide array of opportunities for everybody."

The courses will be offered in Ironton High School's fieldhouse, the former Ohio University television station, located behind the high school. Architects are having the designs approved by the state and construction will take place over the summer. The GEAR UP program has granted $50,000 to help get the building ready.

Classes will be divided into half-day sessions every day. The program will only be able to accommodate about 24 students from each school, but administrators said they believe this will meet the demand.

During part of their senior years, the students will spend a half a day at Collins Career Center to take advantage of the facilities.

Because not all schools are able to take these courses on-site, students from the five other schools in the county currently attend a health academy at Collins. Thirty two seniors will return and 45 juniors-to-be have enrolled, Dodgion said.

The schools will continue to promote the program throughout the end of the school year by mailing brochures and making personal phone calls, Haas said.

The Health Academy will be added to three other tech-prep programs already offered to Dawson-Bryant students: interactive programming, network technologies and business. Ironton offers interactive programming.

"This is really a team approach," Ironton City Schools Superintendent Steve Kingery said. "The only way we can expand our programs is to partner with other groups."