Young Adults Graduate Project SEARCH in Danbury and Waterbury
Ability Beyond is proud to congratulate more than a dozen young adults who graduated recently from the newest sites to our Project SEARCH program held at Danbury and Waterbury Hospitals.
“We’re so happy to be able to celebrate all the hard work and dedication that our graduates have put into their internship during the past year,” said Kate Travis, the Services Director with Ability Beyond.
The 10-month internship program provides an invaluable experience for those who participate, she said, adding that it helps build both hard and soft skills that are needed in the job market and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to self-advocate.
“It’s the collaboration with all our partners that really makes this program possible and so special,” Travis said. “They are setting an example that other businesses could learn from by investing in diverse young adults who are talented and motivated to succeed.”
Our partners include Nuvance Health, Norwalk Public Schools, Norwalk Community College, the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services, and Connecticut Aging and Disability Services.
The first Project SEARCH program at Ability Beyond began in 2017 in New York and expanded in recent years into Connecticut with offerings at Danbury, Norwalk and Waterbury hospitals. Most of the program’s graduates go on to find jobs in the community.
“We are pleased to partner with Ability Beyond to help differently abled young adults overcome barriers and learn skills to make their career goals a reality. Waterbury Hospital has a long history of supporting the community through career and job development programs. This is another great addition to those initiatives and an important program for our community,” said Waterbury HEALTH President and CEO Deborah Weymouth.
Finding Employment
Colby, one of the first graduates of the program at Waterbury Hospital, said he was able to transfer the skills he learned through Project SEARCH into a new job that he starts later this summer at Taft School in Watertown, where he will be working in the maintenance department.
“The internship was a lot of fun, and I got to meet some great people,” said Colby, 24.
He added that while the internship was hard at first, it was his mentors from Ability Beyond who helped him to succeed.
“They really helped me out a lot and supported me,” he said. “I liked everything about it.”
Take Action
It’s because of our partners and the support of community members like you that we’re able to provide career development programs to more than 2,0oo people with disabilities annually. Learn more about what you can do to support Ability Beyond today!