GUELPH – Eight students at the Wellington Catholic District School Board began their term as interns after signing on to Project SEARCH.
The school board and officials at the University of Guelph held a signing ceremony on campus on Sept. 17.
Project SEARCH is a unique school-to-work training program for students with disabilities.
Students, known as interns in the program, will be immersed at the University of Guelph receiving more than 700 hours of hands-on work experience geared to in-demand roles in the local labour market.
The program has been around in Ontario for some time but the University of Guelph is the first university to join the program.
“This day is so symbolic, not only for the interns, but also in recognizing the two-year journey in making this program a reality here in Guelph-Wellington,” said Janet Doner, manager of campus and community integrated learning at the university and liaison for Project SEARCH.
“Jeff Mawhinney, former special education program coordinator and current vice-principal at the Wellington Catholic District School Board, had a vision of seeing motivated high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities have better access to training and experience that would lead to meaningful employment.”
Project SEARCH is a partnership between Wellington Catholic District School Board, Upper Grand District School Board, University of Guelph, the YMCA of Three Rivers and March of Dimes Canada.
“We love experiential learning. We love supporting students to be the best version of themselves. And we love collaborating on thoughtful, innovative, community-based, education initiatives,” Doner continued.
“To all our interns, you have taken a courageous step in your personal and professional development, and we could not be more thrilled to have you be part of our community.”
The Upper Grand board held a signing ceremony for its students on Sept. 5. They will be interns at the Y for their work term.
Over the course of the program year, interns with Wellington Catholic will be employed at the university completing a variety of jobs including those within hospitality, athletics, the bookstore, child care, physical resources, experiential learning centre, the Ontario Veterinary College small animal clinic, the organic farm and the radio station.
They also receive classroom instruction to go over the skills they need for the job and debrief at the end of their workdays.
Wellington Catholic’s director of education Michael Glazier said the program aligns with the vision of the board.
“As a Catholic education institution, Project SEARCH aligns with all elements of our Catholic social teachings, and we are excited to see these students begin their journey today,” he said.
