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Second Class of East Upper School Students Complete Career Exploration Internships at Jewish Home

Students sort “medications” (candies) by color while wearing color blind glasses to demonstrate how easy it is to confuse colors while managing one’s own medications.

(Jan. 26, 2024 – ROCHESTER, NY) On Wednesday, Jan. 31, from 4 – 5 p.m., 11 students from East Upper School will display their final presentations as part of the aging services Career Exploration Internship Program (CEIP) at Jewish Senior Life. The CEIP collaboration with Rochester City School District provides students the opportunity to explore a variety of careers in aging services while accruing high school credit. Each student’s presentation will cover one of the positions they shadowed during their time at Jewish Senior Life.

The 15-week program offers an introduction to aging services careers, and an emphasis on nursing with oversight by Christine Stallworth, Jewish Home’s Nursing Retention Specialist. Participants also benefit from classroom and job shadowing time devoted to other clinical and non-clinical careers, such as: information technology, physical and occupational therapies, culinary services, spiritual care, creative arts therapies and more. This year’s program expanded to cover Jewish Home’s Adult Day Health and Marian’s House day-time memory care program. CEIP is designed for interns to develop an appreciation for different types of work and how each job plays a critical role in person-centered care and enhancing the quality of life for the people served. CEIP also provides guidance for college coursework and certifications students would need to fulfill certain roles.

“Interest in the program has grown this year,” says Christine VanVessem, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Quality at Jewish Senior Life. She continues, “Each intern has a distinct personality and specific pursuits; and even the more introverted students have been willing participants—asking questions, engaging with different technologies used for training and evaluation, and of course—making connections with our residents and program participants. Their involvement in the program has also enhanced the connection and friendships developed here as well as back at school.”

The program aims to expose high school students to health care careers early—which not only benefits the students, but also serves to address the health care worker shortage in the community-at-large. Applicants must meet selection criteria to be enrolled in the internship program and should have a general interest in working within a health care setting. The final presentations and celebration will be held in the Sands Center at the Jewish Home, located at 2021 Winton Road South in Rochester.

About Jewish Senior Life:

Serving people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds, Jewish Home is Rochester’s only Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). Guided by the values of honoring family and aging in place, Jewish Home offers all levels of care on a single campus—from independent living to skilled nursing care—along with a variety of programs and services for people living outside its campus. Jewish Home has CARF International accreditation for high quality and customer satisfaction, and has been certified as a Great Place to Work® since 2020. Its affiliate, the Jewish Home, has been recognized as a Newsweek Best Nursing Home 2022-2024; and also received the “High Performing” ranking for Long-Term Care and Short-Term Rehabilitation in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Nursing Homes 2022-2024. For more information, visit www.jewishhomeroc.org or https://www.facebook.com/jewishseniorlife.

 About the University of Rochester & East EPO Partnership
The University of Rochester, as the Educational Partnership Organization (EPO) for East Upper and Lower Schools, assumed full management responsibilities for East, effective July 2015. The new East consists of a Lower School (grades 6-8) and an Upper School (grades 9-12), and aims to prepare all students for a successful transition into adulthood. A comprehensive community school with a robust set of services to support its diverse students, East offers a strong academic and career preparation program, including a daily advisory program and a full complement of athletic and extra-curricular activities that support and engage students. For more information, visit: http://www.rcsdk12.org/east.

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