Project SEARCH is an exciting and innovative new program that provides work and career development opportunities for adults and students with disabilities. It is modeled on a proven, business model as a win-win initiative for employers, service providers, educators, and individuals with disabilities who want to reach beyond the traditional jobs that are usually available to them.
Now operating in eight other states (and England, Scotland, and Australia), Project SEARCH is piloting a Maryland site in Baltimore with a partnership including The Arc of Baltimore; The University of Maryland, Baltimore; the Baltimore City Public School System; and the Division of Rehabilitation Services.
Congratulations 2010 Project Search Grads!
Eleven students from nine Baltimore City Schools recently graduated from Project SEARCH, an exciting and innovative program sponsored by The Arc of Baltimore that provides work and career development opportunities for adults and students with disabilities. A luncheon was held in their honor.
At the University of Maryland Baltimore, home of the program, the students had internships throughout the campus: human resources, housekeeping, a library, mailrooms, the paint shop, a café, administration and finance, veterinary services, a gym, parking/ commuter services and the school’s mental health center.
The talented group of grads left the program with an array of valuable job skills:
Mail sorting and distribution, packing and mailing books, typing call numbers, shelving journals and periodicals, distributing newspapers and magazines, paint mixing and preparation; painting walls, floors and trim, organizing work orders, food preparation and grill cooking, cleaning kitchen and dining areas, assembling conference packets Organizing paperwork Cleaning locker rooms, gym and workout areas Assembling and cleaning animal cages, restocking veterinary food and bedding, sorting parking tickets and filing parking garage reports, shredding confidential papers during workshop weeks.
Students visited the Walters Art Gallery, BWI Thurgood Marhshall Airport and a working farm in Northern Baltimore County. They also attended three job fairs and explored Baltimore on the Charm City Circulator and a water taxi. Four students participated in the Unified Sports basketball league; others volunteered during the holiday season and collected toys for a local charity.
Project SEARCH Video Showcases Program for Student Workers and Employers
A video showing how Project SEARCH works is now available for viewing online!
The Arc’s educational and employment program for transitioning youth is now in its second year. Take a look. Parents and students can get a better idea of what Project SEARCH may offer them, and potential employers can have a look at what Project SEARCH graduates and other workers with developmental disabilities can do in the workplace. Thanks to the Maryland State Department of Education and the Division of Rehabilitation Services for partnering with The Arc to produce the video.
Project SEARCH has two primary components: an Adult Employment Program and a High School Transition Program.
The Adult Employment Program: The Arc of Baltimore serves as the single point of entry for adults with disabilities seeking new job opportunities. The Adult Employment Program coordinator identifies current job openings and assists potential candidates with the recruitment process at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The goal is to refer qualified candidates with open positions at the University in a variety of settings. The Arc provides on-the-job support (i.e. job coaching/training) and develops adaptations or accommodations that may be necessary for any selected Project SEARCH job candidate to master the given job requirements. The Arc also provides on-site job retention staff, thereby creating a unique support system where people with disabilities can be successful and productive employees with opportunities for advancement and a career path.
High School Transition Program: The High School Transition Program is a one-year education and internship program for students with disabilities who are in their last year of high school in Baltimore City Public Schools. The program targets students whose main goal is to obtain a job with competitive pay. Scheduled to begin in the fall of 2008, the program takes place at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Students immersed in the workplace will learn through continuous feedback and application of new skills. They will attend class at the University and be instructed in employability and independent living skills for one hour each day. The balance of each day then is spent in the intern placement.
Participants working as unpaid interns have the opportunity for placement in three to four worksite rotations at various sites on campus throughout the school year. Each will have the opportunity to learn new skills and gain valuable work experience. Students are given support through on-site, on-the-job coaching and worksite accommodations through The Arc, in cooperation with a Special Education Teacher and Aide provided by the school system. Individualized job development and placement will begin after the students have successfully completed the program and the intern rotations are completed. Every effort will be made to place all graduating students in meaningful employment.
For any questions, or to find out more information about either Project SEARCH program, please contact Joanna Falcone, Director of Project SEARCH at
410-706-5174, or by email at jfalcone@arcofbaltimore.org.
Project SEARCH Grads Get Pomp & Circumstance
The Arc of Baltimore’s Project SEARCH celebrated their first six graduates with a ceremony including Secretary of Disabilities Catherine Raggio who delivered keynote remarks, and President of University of Maryland Baltimore President David Ramsay. The students completed their final year of high school in Project SEARCH and focused job readiness and life skills learning with internships at the University of Maryland Baltimore.
