The program funds the planning and delivery of summer academies designed to introduce rural high school students to healthcare, behavioral health, and oral health careers, aiming to strengthen the rural health workforce pipeline. Eligible applicants will deliver structured 8-week summer programs focused on career exploration, experiential learning, and connections to healthcare credentialing, apprenticeship, and employment opportunities. This solicitation invites proposals to implement Rural Healthcare Academies across all eight RHTP regions in Indiana, beginning in Summer 2027. The initiative aims to expand healthcare, behavioral, and oral health career exploration for rural high school students, strengthen the rural workforce pipeline, and enhance long-term healthcare workforce sustainability in rural Indiana. Applicants will design, launch, and manage summer academies that engage students in classroom and experiential learning, with the goal of connecting participants to further credentialing, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities. This RFA solicits proposals to plan, implement, and evaluate Rural Healthcare Academies in all eight RHTP regions of Indiana. The aim is to expand access to healthcare, behavioral, and oral health career exploration for rural high school students, with a focus on strengthening the rural workforce pipeline. Eligible applicants will design and deliver summer academies introducing students to career pathways in healthcare fields, partnering with local educational institutions and healthcare employers.
Eligibility
Applicants must partner with K–12 school corporations, rural healthcare, behavioral and oral health providers, and community organizations to deliver the proposed academies.
Eligible applicants are organizations capable of planning, implementing, and evaluating Rural Healthcare Academies in partnership with K–12 schools, rural healthcare, behavioral and oral health providers, and community organizations; must be able to recruit and serve rural high school students and engage regional workforce stakeholders.
Eligible applicants will include entities able to partner with K–12 school corporations, rural healthcare, behavioral and oral health providers, and community organizations to recruit students and deliver experiential learning opportunities.
K–12 SchoolCommunity Organization
Rural Healthcare Provider
Behavioral Health Provider
Oral Health Provider
K–12 School Districts
Non-profits
Community-based Organizations
Healthcare Providers
Academic or Workforce Development Organizations
K-12 school corporations
Community-based organizations
Rural healthcare providers
Behavioral health providers
Oral health providers
Coalitions
Requirements Checklist
Submit a narrative proposal including:
Detailed staffing plan
year implementation plan and timeline
Stakeholder engagement plan
Metrics and evaluation plan
Sustainability plan
Itemized budget and budget narrative
Submit a narrative proposal including staffing plan, 5-year implementation plan and timeline, stakeholder engagement plan, metrics and evaluation plan, sustainability plan, itemized budget and budget narrative
Engage partners including K–12 schools, healthcare, behavioral, oral health employers, and community organizations
Implement 8-week summer academies annually beginning Summer 2027 in all eight RHTP regions
Submit monthly, quarterly, and annual reports documenting outcomes, partner participation, and workforce pipeline metrics
Submit a narrative proposal including detailed staffing plan, 5-year implementation plan and timeline, stakeholder engagement plan, metrics and evaluation plan, sustainability plan, itemized budget, and budget narrative.
Deliver monthly, quarterly, and annual reports.
Engage required partner organizations in each RHTP region.
Meet annual enrollment and completion targets.
Required attachments
Narrative proposal
Staffing plan
Implementation timeline
Stakeholder engagement plan
Evaluation plan
Sustainability plan
Itemized budget
Budget narrative
Narrative Proposal
Staffing Plan
5-year Implementation Plan and Timeline
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Submission Instructions
Email proposal to Shelbi Cummings at shcummings@health.in.gov
Email submission to Shelbi Cummings at shcummings@health.in.gov
Email proposal to shcummings@health.in.gov