Four students from the York Region District School Board are spending this school year learning what it takes to hold down a job, and they are doing it at the Markham YMCA.

The students are interns in Project SEARCH, a one-year transition-to-work program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The board shared their stories in a video and article published Jan. 15.

Classroom lessons and real work on site

Project SEARCH in York Region is a partnership among the public school board, the YMCA of Greater Toronto's Markham YMCA and March of Dimes Canada. The program takes place mainly at the YMCA, so interns spend the year learning inside a working organization.

Interns get daily classroom instruction from board staff on employability and life skills, and complete three volunteer internship rotations in different YMCA departments. Board staff provide job coaching on site, while March of Dimes Canada supports career planning and employment coaching.

One intern, Maria, said she loves working at her internship and described her teacher and skills trainer as caring and kind.

Project SEARCH is helping me be independent, be part of a team and I am very happy.

— Maria, Project SEARCH intern

Her mother, Narcisa, said the family has noticed a change.

We definitely saw an increase in her self esteem. She's doing a lot of tasks that show a lot of responsibility.

— Narcisa, parent of a Project SEARCH intern

Another intern, Erin, said she enjoys getting to know staff at the YMCA and is learning to follow a schedule, work independently and take on new tasks that will give her skills she can use later.

Recognition from trustees

The partners behind the program were recently honoured by the board's trustees with an Applause award, which recognizes the difference the program is making for students.

Project SEARCH began in 1996 at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, where hospital director Erin Riehle set out to hire people with developmental disabilities for open jobs and teamed up with Susie Rutkowski, a special education director at Great Oaks Career Campuses, to create the program. The Ontario Disability Employment Network brought the model to Ontario.

The board says the goal is to give participants the work experience, job skills and confidence to move into competitive, integrated employment. Families interested in the program can find details on the board's Project SEARCH page.