About OAHtW

The Highway to Work program was born from a critical observation in the field. While treating patients, UCSF Associate Professor and Pediatrician Emily Frank, MD, recognized acute labor shortages in healthcare; simultaneously, as a health sciences teacher in the Oakland public schools, she saw the untapped potential of local high school graduates. Frank envisioned a pipeline that could bridge this gap, preparing students for entry-level healthcare roles while promoting equity and financial independence for Oakland youth.

What began as a single Emergency Room Technician track in 2022 has since expanded into a robust initiative featuring multiple distinct pathways across allied health roles. Under Frank’s leadership and in collaboration with the OUSD Linked Learning team, UCSF, and Alameda Health System’s HealthPATH, the program now opens doors for dozens of graduates annually.

The initiative is now jointly managed by Frank and Monica Linzner, a Transition Specialist at Castlemont High School who supports work-based learning across the entirety of the Oakland Unified School District. Linzner incorporated fresh, energizing concepts into the curriculum for Highway to Work interns and spearheaded the movement to allow participants to earn collegiate credit through the Peralta Community College District, deeply integrating the program into the regional academic landscape.

The core leadership team expanded in 2024 and 2025 with the addition of Victor Chan and Kathleen Bailey. Chan, the CNA/ER Tech Coordinator and a senior SFSU Nursing student, serves as a primary point of contact for all interns and drives significant operational growth by aligning clinical requirements with individualized student support. Bailey, the EMT Coordinator and a teacher at Oakland Technical High School, additionally serves as the administrative anchor for the program, overseeing the backend systems and logistics.

OUSD high school seniors graduating this school year, and graduates from the prior school year, are eligible to apply. Please see cohort specific restrictions.

Community college or work-seeking graduates encouraged to apply.

You must graduate from or be a recent graduate as defined by program specific restrictions (ie. within 1 year) from a Oakland Unified School District high school.

The following list are OUSD high schools eligible to participate in Highway to Work. Updated 1/2/2025. Please check in with your school counselor, work-based learning liaison, or message us via the contact form to review your eligibility. 

• Castlemont High School

• Coliseum College Prep Academy (CCPA)

• Fremont High School

• Life Academy of Health and Bioscience

• Madison Park Business & Art Academy

• McClymonds High School

• MetWest High School

• Oakland High School

• Oakland Technical High School

• Skyline High School

• Oakland International High School

• Rudsdale High School (Newcomer & Continuation)

• Sojourner Truth Independent Study

• Ralph J. Bunche Academy

ERT: This tract is ideal for students who want to build rapid clinical decision-making skills, critical thinking, and strong teamwork under a high intensity environment. Students can expect to support 50+ patients working in conjunction with their ER Tech preceptor, healthcare team to support medical emergencies (traumatic injuries, cardiac arrest, stroke, other emergencies). In addition, they will take vitals, assist with wound care, patient transport, specimen collection, EKG, and other task. 

CNA: This tract is ideal for students who want to build patient care experience and value deep relationships with patients over time. Students can expect to support 120 residents in a Skilled Nursing Facility working in conjunction with their CNA precetor to support activities of daily living, ambulation, and other needs. 

EMT: This tract is ideal for students who want to build rapid clinical decision-making skills, critical thinking, and strong teamwork in fieldwork enviornment. Students can expect to learn the foundations to support medical emergencies, psychiatric emergencies, and other skills to succeed in an EMT-B certification program.

Each program has a different schedule. ERT Program participants can expect 40 hours/week workload. CNA Program participants can expect 40 hours/week workload. EMT Program participants can expect 20 hours/week workload. 

Yes.

Yes.

Perhaps. Our programs seek individuals who can work full time (40 hours per week) for atleast a year following completion of one the pathways. Part time college (1-2 classes) may be sustainable, but a full-time course load would be challenging with a full-time job. 

No. The Highway to Work Program is designed to give you an competitive edge in the application process by providing networking opportunites, training, and certification.

Yes. Many of our programs require vacccination.

Generally, the requirements include annual influenza, annual COVID, MMR, VZV, and Hepatitis B.

ERT: Work authorization required. A SSN, US Citizenship, or Green Card fulfills this mandate.

CNA: Work authorization required. A SSN, US Citizenship, Green Card or ITIN number fulfills this mandate.

EMT: Work authorization required. A SSN, US Citizenship, or Green Card fulfills this mandate.