Press Release 20 May 2022

Young Adults Gain Marketable Skills

Albany County School District #1

This year, 4 interns will be recognized at Project SEARCH graduation at Ivinson.

Project search 2018 grad 9

Since 2017 Project SEARCH at Ivinson has been opening employment doors for young adults with disabilities.

The program recently marked a milestone when it completed its 5th year. 

It’s a huge milestone for us,” said Megan Friderich, instructor for the program at Ivinson. It really speaks to the dedication of all the folks who participate in the program as well as Ivinson’s leadership. 

Serving as an intern in our program does not guarantee employment. Our participants put in a lot of hard work to reach their employment goals. Co-workers provide incredible support to the interns helping the young adults make successful transitions from high school to the workforce.” 

Project SEARCH, a nine-month unpaid internship, is a partnership between Ivinson Memorial Hospital, which serves as the host business site, Albany County School District #1, Department of Workforce Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. 

Ivinson Memorial Hospital is the first and only Project SEARCH site in Wyoming, offering students/​interns free job training, educational development and internship opportunities at Ivinson and Mountain West Farm Bureau. 

Interns attend six-hour training sessions Monday through Friday in the classroom located at Ivinson, learning an array of life skills needed for the future, including budgeting, resume creation, making travel arrangements to and from the jobsite, as well as communicating with supervisors, guests and peers. Typical rotations of the program include environmental services, human resources, materials management and dietary services. 

Since the program’s inception, 10 interns have graduated from Project SEARCH at Ivinson. Of the students who graduate, we have a 100% success rate,” said Friderich. The participants 

achieved successful employment meeting the program’s four criteria: job integration (a setting of employees with and without disabilities); making a prevailing wage (at least minimum wage); employment is nonseasonal; and jobs provide 16 hours or more a week. We continue to provide support and career guidance once our interns are a part of the workforce.” 

Graduation for the Project SEARCH at Ivinson class of 2021 – 2022 will be held on May 26, 2022 at 2 PM in the Atrium at Ivinson. 

There are 658 Project SEARCH sites worldwide in 10 countries and within 48 of the United States.

About Project SEARCH at Ivinson: 

Project SEARCH at Ivinson is a unique, nine month, job training program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program is a collaboration between Ivinson Memorial Hospital, The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Zenith Business Services and Albany County School District #1. The most important goal of Project SEARCH at Ivinson is for each intern to be competitively employed, working a minimum of 16 hours per week in Laramie after completing the program. 

About Project SEARCH: 

Project SEARCH, based at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, is a business-led, one-year work-preparation program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Most participants are enrolled while transitioning from high school to work. The hallmark of Project SEARCH is total workplace immersion, which facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training. Project SEARCH’s primary objective is to secure competitive employment for every program participant. For more information, visit www​.pro​ject​search​.us