First Cohort of CICS Longwood Scholars Complete Phlebotomy Certification

In December, CICS Longwood’s first cohort of scholars completed an on-campus phlebotomy certificate program, which taught them the techniques, procedures, and safety precautions of drawing blood for diagnostic testing. 

The semester-long course was administered through Phlebotomy Geek Vocational Training, which uses resources from the National Accreditation Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NCCLS) and the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) to teach the educational theory and clinical training of phlebotomy. All ten scholars in this inaugural cohort will now graduate CICS Longwood High School ready to begin a phlebotomist career in a wide variety of healthcare settings. 

The new program arose from Longwood High School Partners, an initiative from Principal Dr. Jeralyn Harris, that seeks to provide greater growth opportunities and robust student learning experiences for the Longwood community. Over the next two years, Dr. Harris aims to provide additional Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, including cosmetology and barbering, nursing, carpentry, and welding. 

“Our Longwood students have been asking for programs like this for years, and I’m so proud that we were able to offer it,” says Dr. Harris. “We know that this is only the beginning. We envision a future where our students can explore many careers during their time at CICS Longwood, allowing them to graduate with a license that will grant them full-time employment or help pay for college.” 

Founded in 1997, CICS Longwood enrolls more than 400 high school students in Chicago’s Washington Heights neighborhood. Interested in learning more or supporting CICS Longwood’s Career and Technical Education programs? Contact Meaghan Jennings, Chief Development Officer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..