April 17, 2015 – Prairie View A&M University and The Houston Independent School District along with Houston Community College announced their historic partnership that will allow Jones Futures Academy students to have an accelerated pathway to achieving registered nurse status.

Currently, students in Jones’ Allied Health program have the opportunity to graduate high school with an associate’s degree and certification as a licensed vocational nurse. Starting this fall, all 90 students in the program will spend half of their day taking courses that are directly aligned with Prairie View’s registered nursing program. The courses will be offered through an existing partnership with Houston Community College and taught at HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences in the Texas Medical Center. Students will also participate in clinical rotations and receive mentoring, college advising and work-based learning opportunities from PVAMU’s College of Nursing.

By taking these classes now, students at Jones will be able to earn free college credit and more quickly complete their bachelor’s degree in nursing after graduation — in just two to three years as opposed to the standard four-and-a-half.

“We truly believe that this partnership is a shining example of the power and significance of what the entire educational community can do when it invests in our children’s future and opportunities,” said Prairie View A&M University President, George C. Wright.

Jones’ Allied Health program expects to graduate its first class of certified licensed vocational nurses in 2018.

“This is a forward-thinking and innovative program in terms of how we go about offering educational access to students.  It eliminates the usual barriers to higher education that some students face and it allows students to easily access PVAMUs entire suite of educational offerings including bachelors, masters and ultimately doctorate degrees,” explained Felicia M. Nave, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Prairie View A&M University.

“Houston expects to see tremendous job growth in nursing over the next 10 years. We want to ensure our students are skilled and prepared to work in such a high-demand and well-paying job field,” said HISD Futures Academy Assistant Superintendent Michael Love. “The opportunities students will receive from this partnership will strengthen their academic knowledge of health sciences, expose them to nursing field experiences, and prepare them for a career in nursing, as well as other jobs in the health sector.”