About Project SEARCH^TM  

Project SEARCH^TM, founded in 1994 at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, is a nationally and internationally recognized program for individuals with disabilities who are interested in training and preparation for competitive employment. Under the leadership of J. Erin Riehle and Susie Rutkowski, there are currently more than 150 Project SEARCH^TM programs throughout the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and Canada.

Visit the Project SEARCH^TM Website: http://www.projectsearch.us

Project SEARCH^TM high school transition program is a school-year program for 18-21 year olds with developmental disabilities that provides training and education leading to competitive employment.  It serves as an alternative for students in their last year of high school.  The cornerstone of Project SEARCH^TM is total immersion in a large business.  Five days a week, students report to the host business, learn employability skills in the classroom and develop job skills while participating in a variety of training experiences on-site at departments throughout the business. The Project SEARCH^TM partnership involves a large business, a school district, a not-for-profit agency that provides employment supports for people with disabilities, state vocational rehabilitation services, and state offices for people with developmental disabilities. Each Project SEARCH^TM student participates in 2-3 training rotations during the academic year, each lasting from 8-10 weeks in length.  The training opportunities are a means to provide students with work experiences that will prepare them for the workforce, by providing students with hands-on opportunities to learn transferable job skills. The Project SEARCH^TM staff works with the students to provide supports and accommodations needed to allow the student to be successful at the training site.  Students are also taught how to utilize “natural supports,” such as co-workers in the worksite placements, to assist in their day-to-day duties.