What is Simulation Academy at Yale?

Simulation Academy at Yale: Youth Entering Science! (SAY:YES!) supports creative educational activities with a primary focus on curriculum development, mentoring activities and outreach for the under-represented in an urban environment.

The Yale Simulation Academy (YSA) at Yale Center for Healthcare Simulation (YCHS) is an innovative outreach program designed to expose New Haven high students to careers in the healthcare profession.

As an innovative community outreach program for local, inner city high school students, it’s intent is to engage learners who might not otherwise have any exposure to careers in the health sciences. The program, which is free of charge, held after school, and not connected to school-related activities, spans the school year and culminates in a graduation ceremony. The curriculum design recognizes that the learners will most likely have no background in basic medicine and is based on the premise that any successful program must be built up from the most basic level.

The curriculum covers topics largely by body systems, with each lesson focused on a particular procedure that enhances learning and fosters further discussion. It gives students a broad understanding of basic anatomy and physiology while improving their health literacy of common diseases and emergencies through hands-on encounters. Participants are also exposed to multiple careers within the medical field, including professions such as nursing, EMS, respiratory therapy, ultrasonography, and phlebotomy. SAY:YES collaborates with Yale University’s Pathways to Science, which has an established track record of partnering with the New Haven Public School District. YCHS is a Society for Simulation in Healthcare-accredited simulation center.