The BTE-New Brunswick, NJ (3) program built on the success of New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School (NBHSTHS), school designed to prepare young people for the challenges of a career in medicine and health care, by providing additional academic and experiential opportunities. Twenty-two students were randomly selected upon entering the school to participate in the BTE program. During the four-year intensive program, students received targeted support through applied learning opportunities, job shadowing, and mentoring experiences with Johnson & Johnson employees. College students attending Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey provided standardized test preparation and after school tutoring in math and science.
The program boosted an intergenerational component: BTE students at NBHSTHS tutored elementary students at Livingston Elementary School in math and reading. Elementary students and BTE students also participated in joint health and science-related field trips and worked with mentors at Johnson & Johnson. Because of the extensive time commitment required of the program, all BTE students received an annual stipend of $500 for continued satisfactory participation.
