Students in the Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Academy of Health will benefit from enhanced learning opportunities throughout their four years at Parkview. In the upcoming school year, freshmen students will experience career exposure through classroom speakers and guest lecturers and will attend a career exposure event where Arkansas Blue Cross, along with other central Arkansas businesses, will showcase career opportunities. Sophomore students will be provided field trips and business tours and junior students will then be provided job shadowing opportunities. Together, Arkansas Blue Cross and Parkview will develop capstone projects and internship opportunities for senior students.

As a partner, Arkansas Blue Cross will work collaboratively with Parkview High School teachers and their Academy Coach to identify the needed resources, learning opportunities, required skills for students, and relevant industry certifications for the mental and behavioral health pathway of study. They will provide mentorship and expertise on project-based learning embedded into coursework in both core academics and career classes. Arkansas Blue Cross will also provide needed equipment and financial resources for the implementation of the mental and behavioral health pathway of study.

“We are excited to become a partner with Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School,” said Curtis Barnett, president and CEO of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “It is especially exciting to be working alongside teachers and administrators to further develop and deploy the mental and behavioral health pathway of study. There are many rewarding career opportunities in the mental and behavioral health field, and we are looking forward to introducing students to the possibilities. There is great need in our state for mental and behavioral health services and care and we believe the youth of today hold great promise for making a positive difference in our state’s future.”