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Project SEARCH

Project SEARCH provides a business-led program where students with a wide range of developmental disabilities can learn relevant, marketable skills through innovative workforce and career development in an integrated setting. With the goal of competitive employment, each student receives classroom instruction and hands on experience through strategically-designed internships in up to three departments at PennState Health. Employment searches are done throughout the program year to find suitable jobs within the interns' community.

Open House

First page of the PDF file: PSDistrictOpenHouseFlyer
First page of the PDF file: TransitionOpenHouseFlyer

Worksite

Rotations

Through work rotations of internships, students will build communication, problem-solving, and job-specific skills through rotations. Students will experience at least two different worksite assignments based on their previous work experience, interests, and assessments in order to learn marketable and transferable employability skills so they are able to gain competitive employment after Project SEARCH. Skills trainers and department staff collaborate to provide support to students as the gain independence.

Two Project Search Students with a comfort cart
Project SEARCH student serving food
Project SEARCH student working in medical field
Project SEARCH student working in a grocery store.

Mentor & Skills Trainer

What is a Worksite Mentor?
A Worksite Mentor is a designated point of contact within PennState Health worksite rotations. This is designed for an intern to have regular access to a consistent individual within the department for training, questions, and worksite needs.

What is a Skills Trainer?
A Skills Trainer observes department work, identifies core skills/essential functions, develops job/task analysis and confirms tasks with managers, teaches students core skills, develops productivity enhancements and work aids, works with peer mentors to provide support, evaluates students' progress, and gives feedback to students.

Program Details

Contact

projectsearch@caiu.org
717.531.0003, Ext. 289893

Kirsti Porter
Instructor
Kporter@caiu.org

Christian Wright
Skills Trainer
chwright@caiu.org

Additional Contacts

Tim Dorsey
Program Supervisor tdorsey@caiu.org

Melissa Milano
Business Liaison
mmilano@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

Rosanny Reyes
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
roreyes@pa.gov

Application Form

Apply today to participate in Project SEARCH! The application for the 2024-2025 school year is now open.

Apply Now

Partners

PennState College of Medicine
PennState Health
Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry

Resources

Learn more about Project SEARCH in the Program Profile.