The Emanuel County School District features a program that helps students with disabilities to build a future for themselves. With 38,753 interns served through 730 program sites in ten countries and 48 in the United States, Project SEARCH connects young adults to opportunities that can change their lives. It was developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 1996 when Erin Riehle, Director of Cincinnati Children’s Emergency Department, “felt that because the hospital served individuals with developmental disabilities as patients, it made sense they should commit to hiring people in this group. She wondered if it would be possible to train people with developmental disabilities to fill some of the high-turnover, entry-level positions in her department.” To learn more about how she turned this idea into of filling a handful of jobs in Cincinnati Children’s Emergency Department into a comprehensive, internationally recognized program, visit projectsearch.us.
Project SEARCH transition-to-work program is a unique, nine-month unpaid internship preparation program that takes place entirely at the workplace. The program is designed to prepare adult students with disabilities for competitive employment. Project SEARCH interns receive daily instruction in employability skills, explore careers, and gain hands-on work experiences with three 10-week rotations. Swainsboro Elementary School serves as the host business.
Michelle Scott, Project Search instructor, said, "I want the community to know that we are just doing our part to help students with disabilities build a future for themselves. Gainful employment is a life-changing experience for anyone, especially those with disabilities. Having a Project Search program can bring about long-term changes in the business culture that have far-reaching effects on attitudes about hiring people with disabilities." Mrs. Scott goes on to explain that with support and training, people with disabilities can be successful in a wide variety of jobs. "Our goal is to provide that support while building their confidence and job skills.”
“We want to be advocates for acceptance and inclusion in our community and workforce. I have witnessed these interns exceed our expectations in a very short time. They are showing responsibility and are taking the initiative in their individual internships. Each has received positive feedback on evaluations from their mentors and department managers. Our hope is that each of these interns will be offered employment at the end of their internship," Mrs. Scott said.
As the first Project SEARCH program in our area, Michelle Scott and Teresa Dolph explain the tremendous support they have received from Superintendent Scotty Hattaway and Dr. Susan Rutherford, Director of Student Services. They are also thankful for their host business, Swainsboro Elementary School, where our interns serve ten-week rotations in the Media Center, the Custodial department, and Food Services. Through the Food Services internship, they worked closely with Kim Hooks, Farm to School coordinator. The interns have helped take care of chickens, sheep, goats, and raised beds of vegetables. The interns are currently working on hatching eggs in the classroom and growing seeds for spring planting.
Mrs. Scott looked emotional as she defined how Principal Mrs. Valorie Watkins, her faculty, and staff welcomed the program and its interns with open arms. She said it was hard to describe how appreciative they are of the support, love, and experience Swainsboro Elementary provided the program and, more importantly, the interns.
How can the Emanuel County community help? They are looking for guest speakers who would like to share their knowledge and expertise about the world of work. They would appreciate business owners coming in for mock interviews, resume workshops, updates on local job opportunities, or just getting to know the interns.
The instructors recently participated in the Emanuel County Schools Industry Tour initiative to better understand the jobs available in our community and the required skills the interns would need to be successfully employed.
If anyone is interested in learning more about Project Search, there will be an information session on Thursday, March 9, 2023, at 6 p.m. at Swainsboro Elementary School. You can also find information on our Emanuel County Schools’ website and Facebook page.
