Article summary
- The second cohort of Project SEARCH interns celebrated graduation at Johnson City Medical Center.
- Project SEARCH is an international program that helps students with significant intellectual disabilities gain work experience, helping them transition to life after high school by helping them find employment.
- Project SEARCH was established at Johnson City Medical Center and Niswonger Children’s Hospital in 2024 in partnership with Johnson City Schools.
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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Leaders, mentors and families came together to celebrate five very special Science Hill High School students who completed the Project SEARCH program this year.
Interns Ethan, Kailani, Katie, Mandi and Olivia officially received their certificates of completion of the Project SEARCH program, a 180-day internship program for high school students with intellectual disabilities.
Project SEARCH was launched in 2024 at Johnson City Medical Center. The program provides on-site job training for students during their final year of high school, helping them gain and hone skills to bring to the job market after graduation. The goal of the program is to equip individuals with disabilities with the skills they need to ease into the workforce following graduation.
“The transition after graduation can be very jarring for anyone, so this program can be very helpful for these kids,” said Kelly Hernandez, a certified teacher who heads the program at Johnson City Medical Center. “Every student leaves with more confidence and other skills that they didn’t have when they started, and most leave with jobs already lined up after graduation. As an educator, it’s very inspiring to watch them learn, grow and succeed.”
Project SEARCH has international reach and has helped more than 55,000 interns worldwide since it was implemented in 1996. Students who enroll in the Project SEARCH program at Johnson City Medical Center get experience in various areas of work, including food service, environmental services and child life services, enabling them to find employment either at the hospital or elsewhere after high school.
“This program is extremely special to me personally, and I know for many of our mentors as well,” said Tara Chadwell, associate administrator who was instrumental in establishing the program at Johnson City Medical Center. “The program exists to teach students, but our mentors end up learning just as much as the students do. It’s such a joy to see students learn and grow through their 180 days with us, and I can’t wait to see where these kids go next. I’m honored to celebrate the Project SEARCH class of 2026.”
Project SEARCH began in 1996 at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where it has grown from a single program site at the research facility to a large and continuously expanding international network of sites. Today, the program continues its work to provide employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. The program has since been deployed in 10 countries and 48 states across the country with 628 program sites and nearly 30,000 people served since 2010.
