FACES for the Future is unique in its approach to prepare disadvantaged students for college and careers in healthcare through its individualized blend of the School-to-Career model with the Adolescent Health model. The high school program is comprised of three components: the Academic & Career Component; the Psychosocial Component; and the Clinical Rotation Component.

FACES for the Future: Health Professions Internship Partnership at Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland, founded in August 2000, is a multifaceted three-year educational "pipeline" program directed at improving health disparities by increasing diversity among health care and biomedical professionals. Additionally, it strives to address adolescent health disparities by providing at-risk minority youth with opportunities for career exploration and training, academic support, mentoring and psychosocial intervention and assistance. The purposes of the program are multifold: 1) to support and prepare underrepresented minority youth for the demands of college and a future career in health care, 2) to foster academic excellence through mentoring and tutoring programs, 3) to address the psychosocial issues of each individual student through comprehensive assessment, prevention, and intervention plans, and 4) to establish an extensive network ("pipeline") of educational, community, and medical partners who can provide continuous support of underrepresented minority students through their educational journey from high school through their professional training.

The program supports 75 to 90 student interns over a three-year period from 10th through 12th grades, with students coming from six high schools within the Oakland and Berkeley Unified School Districts: Life Academy, Oakland Technical High School, Skyline High School, Berkeley High School, Met West High School, and Emiliano Zapata Street Academy. Together, the student bodies of these schools are comprised of greater than 86% minority students. They are representative of the minority groups currently under-represented in the health professions. All participants are considered "at-risk" because of the high poverty, crime, unemployment and mortality rates in their communities, combined with under-funded schools and limited recreation and employment opportunities. In 2004, Oakland experienced one homicide every three days on average. These ecosocial factors impact Oakland and Berkeley’s educational systems on a daily basis. In 2003 the Verbal and Math average of the SAT I for OUSD students was only 844 compared to 1033 for Alameda County. For some students, instead of worrying about and studying for their upcoming chemistry exam, they are worrying about being shot in the streets, finding food for dinner, a sister who is in the hospital and missing school due to asthma, and/or an unemployed, uninsured parent. For some students, daily living is a matter of life or death.

Students receive an academic letter grade and high school credit for their participation and written work. The following is a brief description of the activities that are offered at the hospital through its internship program:

• Classroom education and training relevant to the health care and biomedical sciences industry, health work force diversity, and college admissions;
• Ongoing academic tutoring and support to ensure academic improvement and success;
• College preparation activities, such as SAT preparation, personal statement writing, and financial aid workshops;
• One-on-one case management to address students' psychosocial needs and workshops on life skills such as managing anger and stress;
• Six to eight-week clinical rotations in different hospital departments, and for senior students, paid clerkships at the hospital, community clinics, private medical offices;
• Specialized training in peer health education for selected senior students so they can deliver community-based workshops on adolescent health topics.