Programs & Centers

Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) is home to a number of innovative programs designed to better engage patients and their families as well as members of the communities we serve. The Carl Sagan Discovery/Explainer Program is part of this initiative.

Created in 2001, the Carl Sagan Discovery/Explainer Program offers high school and college youth from the Bronx and surrounding areas with opportunities to work in a professional healthcare environment. As part of the curriculum at CHAM, Explainers are required to visit patients and their families and familiarize them with how to use the state-of-the-art technology that is available at their bedside.

Over the years, more than 100 Explainers have come through our program and received mentorship on professional development. Our mentees acquire a wide range of skills such as resume writing, professional interview role playing and career placement. CHAM Explainers have gone on to a variety of careers, many within the healthcare industry.

Through the combination of state-of-the-art technology, which improves the health of the patient, and youth employment in jobs that expand skill sets and start youth out on career paths, the Carl Sagan Discovery/Explainer Program truly embodies Montefiore’s mission.