Ridgeline Opens Applications for Second Year of HealthX and First Year of MaritimeX

Ridgeline has opened the applications for two 2026-27 career pathway programs – HealthX and MaritimeX – that offer young people the experiences, skills, and social capital needed to reach in-demand, high-paying careers in the healthcare and maritime industries, respectively.

HealthX Fellowship at a glance

• A part of Ridgeline’s healthcare career pathway
• Five-month program offering exposure and experience across patient care, medical imaging, and emergency services – including college and non-college pathways
• HealthX Fellows gain work-based learning experience, strengthen their durable skills, meet mentors and employers, and earn a Basic Life Support, or BLS, certification
• HealthX Fellows receive a $1,000 learning stipend to help remove barriers to participation

MaritimeX Fellowship at a glance

• A five-month program as a part of Ridgeline’s maritime career pathway
• MaritimeX Fellows gain exposure and experience across marine trades, engineering, and vessel navigation – including college and non-college pathways
• The fellowship includes work-based learning experience, durable and professional skill building, and meet mentors and industry professionals
• MaritimeX Fellows receive a $1,000 learning stipend to help remove barriers to participation

Both programs are open to 11th and 12th grade students who reside in or attend high school in the Bay Area’s Contra Costa County, with priority going to students from low-income backgrounds and from Richmond, California. The priority deadline for both fellowships is Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. and the final deadline is Oct. 9 at 9 a.m.

‍Pathways to in-demand, high-wage careers – including both college and non-college pathways

Ridgeline launched this past July to build and run the pathways that connect education to employment, based on labor market demand.

“Young people want strong careers and employers need talent,” shared Pat O’Donnell, CEO and co-founder of Ridgeline. “But too often, no one connects the pathway between them. We started Ridgeline to change.”

“We’re building and running rigorous career pathways – including both college and non-college pathways – that give young people hands-on learning, paid work experience, industry credentials, and the skills and connections needed to launch meaningful careers.”

As a career pathways intermediary and nonprofit, Ridgeline’s programs are focused on supporting young people in grades 11-14, or aged 16-22, from low-income backgrounds to have multiple on-ramps to high-paying careers, starting with the healthcare and maritime industries.

In the healthcare pathway, there is a four-day Hands-On Health program, the five-month HealthX Fellowship, and the new summer-long HealthWorks program, where young people are earning their Certified Nursing Assistant credential on their path to careers like Licensed Vocational Nurse and Registered Nurse. In the maritime pathway, Ridgeline launched Hands-On Deck in partnership with Cal Poly Maritime Academy and the Working Waterfront Coalition this summer and MaritimeX this fall.

“Healthcare and maritime are leading sectors for advancing economic opportunities for young people from low-income backgrounds in the Bay Area," shared Aiyana Mourtos, co-founder and head of program at Ridgeline. "So we are building stackable, flexible, and clear paths for young people to be able to move from high school to high-wage healthcare careers, in partnership with employers, colleges, schools, and workforce partners,” shared Mourtos.

Across Ridgeline programs, there continues to be strong demand, with applications outpacing spots 3-5x and representation from 20+ high schools – and strong outcomes, with 90%+ growth in career clarity, durable skills, and credential attainment.

On the way to economic mobility, one evening and weekend at a time

HealthX and MaritimeX are designed to provide high school students with career experience and skills across a range of healthcare (patient care, medical imaging, and emergency services) and maritime (marine trades, engineering, and vessel navigation) jobs so they can pursue a meaningful pathway to long-term economic mobility.

"High schoolers are often asked to make big decisions about their future, without having had authentic, hands-on career experiences. Our programs give them the clarity and motivation to confirm the path they are thinking or to discover others they didn't know existed, like radiologic or nuclear medicine technologists in healthcare or merchant mariner or marine engineer in maritime,” Mourtos shared.

In addition to exploring different roles, both fellowships are focused on the skills, social capital, and confidence needed to pursue those roles.

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Both fellowships will run December 2026 through April 2027, with weekly sessions after school and full-day experiences at industry sites monthly during school holidays. To help remove barriers for participation for young people joining across the Bay Area, Ridgeline offers a stipend of up to $1,000, which helps offset expenses for food, transportation, or other materials a student may need to complete the program.

“Paid work-based learning and out-of-school career opportunities are powerful levers for shaping student career outcomes,” shared O’Donnell.

“Too often high-paying careers are out of reach based on what school you go to, what connections you have, or if you’re able to afford unpaid opportunities. Developing healthcare and maritime talent pipelines in the Bay Area means making programs like HealthX and MaritimeX accessible across our community.”

Another piece that makes Ridgeline career pathways unique is the rigorous, work-based learning nature of the programming.

“We go beyond career exposure to include hands-on learning alongside industry professionals, industry credentials, and a toolkit of durable skills – like communication, teamwork, and critical thinking – that young people can use in healthcare, maritime, or any career,” shared Mourtos.

“Through Ridgeline programs, it’s amazing to see young people from low-income backgrounds walk away with more options, more clarity, more confidence, and more connections for their futures.”

Thank you to our career pathway partners!

Ridgeline is offering the HealthX and MaritimeX Fellowships as paid career pathway programs for students thanks to the generous support of philanthropic funders, donors, and community partners.

“We’re so grateful to our incredible partners for their support of future healthcare and maritime professionals,” shared O’Donnell. “Together we’re building the career pathways that benefit young people, employers, and our regional economy.”

HealthX Funders and Partners

• Ignite Fund of the Roberts Foundation
• Kaiser Permanente
• Payette River Foundation
• Richmond YouthWORKS

MaritimeX Funders and Partners

• Cal Poly Maritime Academy
• Ignite Fund of the Roberts Foundation
• Payette River Foundation
• USS Hornet Museum
• Working Waterfront Coalition

Partnership opportunities‍

If your company, foundation, or community organization is interested in making it possible for Bay Area high schoolers to participate in Ridgeline career pathways – by funding stipends, industry site visits, program gear and materials, space rentals, and more – please reach out to Erick Roa, Head of Strategy and Operations at Ridgeline, at erick@ridgelinepathways.org.