Modeled on an internationally recognized employment training program developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), Project SEARCH programs in Arizona provide young people with disabilities quality unpaid internships for hands-on training and career exploration. Programs take place entirely within a host business where total immersion in the workplace facilitates the teaching and learning process through continuous feedback and the acquisition of employability and competitive work skills. The goal for each intern upon completion of a program is competitive employment in the community.

Interns build communication and problem-solving skills as well as job specific skills through work site rotations. Following orientation to work site protocols, culture, and facilities, interns complete 3 to 4 unpaid rotations (each 10 to 11 weeks) during the program year. The intern, instructor, and job coach work together to select rotation sites based on the intern’s interest and skills. Each program day includes a 4 to 5 hour shift at the rotation site in addition to an hour of classroom instruction in employability and independent living skills. Program duration varies by site between 9 to 11 months.