Reach out to Natasha Herum at [email protected] for details! Project SEARCH was first developed in 1996 at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to provide employment and education opportunities for individuals with significant disabilities. Project SEARCH came to western Wisconsin starting in 2015, through a collaboration of River Falls Area Hospital, WI Department of Workforce Development, Bridge, River Falls School District, Ellsworth School District, TMG and ContinuUs. High School Transition Program
The High School Transition Program is a one-year education program for students with disabilities. Participants have met all academic requirements for graduation and spend a school year reporting to the Project SEARCH host business where they learn the skills needed to obtain competitive community employment at the conclusion of the program. The high school transition program combines classroom time with a school year-long unpaid internship at River Falls Area Hospital. This combination of instruction and immersion in the workplace setting thoroughly prepares enrollees to meet employer expectations. In addition to classroom learning covering employability and independent living skills, each student will spend four hours per day working in an internship. Project SEARCH students gain experience working in a variety
of settings. Classroom curriculum
Throughout the school year, interns participate in a functional academic curriculum that stresses employability and independent living skills. Major classroom focus areas include:
· Working responsibly
· Communicating effectively
· Solving problems and developing critical thinking skills
· Planning and managing a career
· Developing self-advocacy skills. OUR MISSION
Project SEARCH is dedicated to providing education and training to young adults with significant disabilities through an innovative workforce and career development model that benefits the individual, workplace and community. Our primary goal is to secure competitive employment outcomes for each of our student graduates.
