November 18, 2025 — The Ohio State University East Hospital hallways buzzed with movement as Beechcroft High School students stepped through the doors, their eyes wide with curiosity. Around them, the steady rhythm of beeping monitors and soft voices filled the air.
For many ninth graders, this was their first time seeing what happens inside a hospital beyond the waiting room. As part of an experiential learning partnership between Columbus City Schools (CCS), I Know I Can (IKIC), and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Beechcroft students spent the morning exploring real-world careers in health care and the health sciences. This initiative is part of the District's plan to connect students to in-demand careers, ensuring they are prepared for opportunities that align with Columbus’ workforce needs.
The visit, one of several planned trips this semester, provided hands-on exposure to the professions of physical, occupational, speech, and respiratory therapy. Students rotated through interactive stations, practiced rehabilitation techniques, and learned how each role supports patients on the road to recovery.
“I was surprised at how people needed more tools to be created so they could do regular things like use the restroom and cut food,” said Zakiya Shariff, Beechcroft ninth grader. “I never knew occupational therapy was a thing. I thought they gave [the] patient tools. I didn't know they needed to work on it and teach [patients] about it before they use it.”
Students learned at a therapy station where a specialist demonstrated how to assist patients in regaining mobility, while others leaned in to try adaptive tools, each device designed to make everyday tasks possible again for someone recovering from injury or illness.
“I’ve learned that speech therapy isn’t just about learning how to speak,” said ninth grader Macayla Neal. “It’s also about swallowing and learning about joints in your mouth.”
Those “aha” moments are the result educators and partners were aiming to create. The ninth-grade experience is part of CCS’ effort to connect classroom learning with future careers early, helping students make informed choices about their high school pathways and beyond.
Within the Beechcroft Freshman Academy, students can explore the sports medicine pathway, one of several under the District’s Career Academies model, which blends academic coursework with hands-on career exposure. With the help of IKIC, students will begin earning industry-recognized credentials in areas such as CPR, sports medicine, and physical therapy prior to graduation, giving them a competitive edge in both college and the workforce.
“We know health science is one of the pathways, so we're just trying to get students exposed to various opportunities within that health science sector, whether it be sports medicine or allied health and nursing,” said Kila Joseph, assistant director of career advising at I Know I Can. “Reaching [students] in ninth grade is so important. These opportunities are strictly for ninth graders so that they get that exposure and that ‘aha’ moment.”
Joseph added that early exposure can help students stay motivated and focused throughout their high school years.
“For them to say, ‘I need to stay in school,’ ‘I need to graduate,’ ‘this is what I want to do,’ that’s what we’re trying to spark,” Joseph said.
At each station inside Ohio State East Hospital, students met professionals working in different specialties. The rehabilitation team demonstrated how they help patients relearn physical movements, and the clinical engineering group explained how hospital devices are maintained and repaired. Students saw how every role contributes to a patient’s healing process.
“We love to bring students in when we can and expose them to careers in health care,” said Elizabeth Lanker, associate director of workforce partnerships at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “It's really hard to know what all lives in these walls unless you know somebody who works in health care or you've had an experience yourself. Our goal is to showcase those many wonderful things–the hidden gems–and get students excited about those career paths.”
Lanker and her team work closely with schools across Central Ohio to show students that health care offers many entry points: from two-year technical degrees to advanced research roles.
“There are many opportunities to get involved in health care at an entry level,” Lanker said. “We all know there are many opportunities in the four-year degree and beyond [the] realm of education, but we really want students to know there's something for every type of learner.”
The in-hospital learning experience offered a glimpse into what’s possible when community and education come together. CCS continues to expand career exploration opportunities such as this one through its growing network of Career Academies, ensuring students have access to real-world learning experiences connected to high-demand industries.
“I just love the partnerships that we have throughout the District and throughout our community,” Joseph said. “They always pour into our students, and this is just expanding it even further.”
As the buses pulled away from Ohio State East Hospital, Beechcroft’s ninth graders carried with them new ideas about their own futures. Some discussed their interest in learning more about therapy careers. Others wondered how they could design better tools for patients. For all of them, the experience lit a spark and took a large step toward seeing themselves as part of something bigger.
CCS and its partners are opening doors for students to explore, dream, and prepare for the careers that will shape the future of Central Ohio. The momentum keeps building as the next set of ninth graders, this time from East High School, will head to Ohio State East Hospital on November 19, 2025.
