Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation Identifies Students for High Demand Career Areas

A tough, new science curriculum is giving some regional high school students an early taste of the rigors and rewards that await those who prepare for biomedical careers.  And students say they relish the challenge.

Community Campus, a partnership with area public and private school systems, area colleges and Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation, identifies students for high demand career areas.  One of these career academies is the Life Science Academy (LSA).  The Life Science Academy has adopted the Biomedical Sciences program developed by Project Lead the Way, a national not-for-profit that promotes hands-on, problem-based coursework to improve achievement in math and science.

The initial class offered by the LSA is the Principles of Biomedical Sciences. It was offered to incoming freshmen across the region and 40 students were accepted into the academy based on test scores and an essay.

"The LSA curriculum focuses on critical thinking, creativity, innovation and real-world problem solving. Students began their first day faced with a mysterious death. They investigated the crime scene for clues and tried to determine who or what killed Anna Garcia. As the LSA students explore further they will find that although the death appears mysterious, the clues point toward a natural demise. Investigations of Ms. Garcia’s lab results, autopsy report and health record will lead them on a journey through all the human body systems, illustrating their interdependence and providing them with the background and motivation to complete the rest of the semester’s curriculum".

Students attend the course for 90 minutes each day for 170 days at Owensboro Community and Technical College.  If students choose to continue, they will progress through one course each high school year, culminating in a capstone course their senior year where they declare their major and do internships and research in their chosen field.

The biomedical and health care fields are expected to generate one out of every five new jobs by 2016. Demand for healthcare jobs will continue to rise as the population ages and Baby Boomers require more medical and health-related services. Our community is also looking forward to the opening of the new Owensboro Medical Health System facility in 2013. For the second year, OMHS has provided a grant to support the Life Science Academy. For the Owensboro region to be a leader in the biomedical industry, and for students to be well-prepared for those jobs, our schools need to put greater emphasis on math, science and technology. The LSA provides our students and our region with a valuable means to ensure we can meet the growing demand.

Classes meet from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Monday - Friday in Room 111 at the OCTC Academic Building.

Our thanks to Lora Wimsatt at Daviess County Public Schools and Natalie Mountjoy  and Marcia Carpenter at Life Science Academy for alerting us to this story.