EPiC 2025: Creating Pathways Through Immersive Learning
This year’s Emory Pipeline Collaborative (EPiC) was a testament to the power of experiential learning and intentional curriculum design. Over the span of three weeks, high school juniors and seniors from Atlanta Public Schools were fully immersed in a health career pipeline program that blended academic prep with real-world exposure.
The juniors focused on SAT preparation and early exposure to health careers, while the seniors crafted Individual Development Plans, personal statements, and scholarship essays — practical tools that will directly impact their college journeys. But the real strength of EPiC lies in its hands-on, immersive experiences.
Students visited Emory’s Schools of Medicine and Nursing, took undergraduate tours at Emory and Kennesaw State University, and engaged with professionals across healthcare — from anesthesiologists and psychiatrists to dermatologists and public health workers. These interactions demystified the healthcare field and planted seeds of possibility.
One highlight was the Human Simulation Educational Center, where seniors practiced clinical scenarios using advanced patient simulators — an opportunity most students rarely access at the high school level. Activities like the heart and brain dissections also offered students a deeper understanding of anatomy and human disease, taught collaboratively by professionals in physical therapy and neuroscience.
Through EPiC, students didn’t just learn about health careers — they experienced them. This program continues to redefine what it means to prepare students for the future: by providing access, exposure, and a structured bridge to higher education and healthcare professions.
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