Pathway to Success is a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) initiative, managed by FHI 360, that builds college readiness and career opportunities for Bridge to Employment (BTE) students and alumni. BTE works with 14-to-18-year-old students in disadvantaged communities in the United States and across the globe to mentor them about health careers and educational opportunities beyond secondary school.
FHI 360 designed the program model for Pathway to Success to support young people as they transition from high school to college, and later, from college to career. Participants are selected by Pathway to Success partners through a review process that includes written applications and interviews. The program starts in participants’ junior year of high school and continues until graduation from post-secondary education.
Pathway to Success seeks to increase:
- The number of young people completing higher education with a degree or certificate in a science, technology, engineering, math, manufacturing or design (STEM2D) discipline
- The number of young people who are career ready
- The number of young people employed in the health or STEM2D sectors
To improve the transition to college, high school participants are provided:
- A week-long pre-college academy at a university campus, which includes living on campus, engaging in college-level classroom discussions and workshops, networking with university staff and faculty, and preparing college admissions materials
- A two-day college transitions boot camp, which includes learning the essentials of: time management, studying for college-level exams, mental health, self-care and other topics vital to first-year success
- Annual winter break seminars targeting skills that advance academic success and improve student well-being
To improve the transition to careers, college participants are provided:
- Biannual online forums and winter break seminars fostering personal and professional development
- Competitive job shadowing and up to two eight-week paid internships with J&J
- Networking and career counseling
In addition to conducting participant workshops and creating partnerships with community colleges and four-year institutions, FHI 360 also conducts the project evaluation, develops the protocol and data collection methodology, writes the common survey instruments and focus group protocols, and prepares annual impact reports.
