Hardy Williams Academy Mastery Charter School in Southwest Philadelphia and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia recently joined forces to help the school’s graduates secure full-time positions at the hospital, writes Stephen Williams for WHYY.

The two institutions recently received a $19.6 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies that will be used to facilitate the development of a curriculum to prepare HWAMCS’ graduates for jobs at CHOP.

The school is among 10 schools from urban and rural areas selected to be part of a $250 million healthcare education initiative announced in January by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Justin Meltzer, principal at HWAMCS, said this is an incredible grant “infusing millions of dollars into a community that is starving for these types of resources.”

By September 2025, over 600 students from grades 7 through 12 will get the chance to take part in the new multidisciplinary program. These offer training for multiple positions at the hospital, including certified medical assistants, lab technicians, and hospital administration support staff.

Additionally, the students will get to learn from CHOP practitioners and engage in paid internships, as well as earning college credits.

CHOP currently employs about 25,000 people and is one of the city’s top employers

Read more about the partnership to get students at Hardy Williams Academy Mastery Charter School jobs at CHOP in WHYY.

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