News

(February 3, 2023 – ROCHESTER, NY) On Wednesday, February 8, three students from East Upper School will complete their final presentations as part of the Aging Services Career Exploration Internship Program (CEIP) at Jewish Senior Life. The collaboration with Rochester City School District, which launched in October of last year, provides scholars the opportunity to explore professional careers in Aging Services while accruing high school credit. The program offers an introduction to aging services careers with an emphasis on nursing; however, 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.

 “The exploration allows scholars to observe and acquire learning skills that are essential to performing the job being explored in class,” says Christine Van Vessem, Vice President of Staff Development and Quality Management at Jewish Senior Life. She continues, “Not only does it give them insight into a potential nursing career, but also other types of roles that are available within long-term care settings and senior living communities. The program also provides guidance for college coursework and certifications they would need to fulfill certain positions. It’s our hope that by exposing high school students to health care careers early—a field where workers are highly employable—we can do our part to help address the community-wide health care worker shortage.”

Mariel Spano, Work Based Learning Coordinator for East, says, “When speaking with the students who have been actively participating in this career exploration about what they had gained or learned from this I was surprised how different their answers were. Overall, this experience has given them a much better understanding of the care given at Jewish Senior Life to meet the needs of the seniors who live there. I would like to thank the staff for taking the time out of their busy schedules to work with our students.”

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. 

 About Jewish Senior Life:

Serving people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds, Jewish Senior Life is Rochester’s only Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). Guided by the values of honoring family and aging in place, Jewish Senior Life 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 Senior Life 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 Homes 2023 and US News & World Report Best Nursing Home for Long Term Care and Short-Term Rehabilitation 2022-2023. For more information, visit www.jewishseniorlife.org or 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.