Project SEARCH is a one-year school-to-work internship program for 18-21 year old students with disabilities on the ability or modified graduation pathway. Project SEARCH is an evidence-based national school-to-work transition model that has met with incredible success and has been implemented throughout the US and around the world.
The entire program takes place at a host business and is a full collaboration between a local school district, New Mexico Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (NMDVR), NM Health Care Authority/Developmental Disabilities Supports Division (DDSD), a local long term provider agency, a local host business, and the UNM Center for Development and Disability Partners for Employment (UNM CDD PFE).
Through braided funding and combined resources, these agencies work together to provide education and support to students for three 10-week rotations over the course of the year. Students learn different employability skills in each rotation, with the overall goal of obtaining competitive employment by the end of the internship.
Project SEARCH was introduced to New Mexico in 2013 by way of former UNM Regent Jamie Koch, whose daughter graduated from the Seton Medical Center Project SEARCH program in Austin, Texas. Having firsthand experience with the successes of the program, Jamie Koch proposed Project SEARCH to the UNM Board of Regents, requesting funding for a pilot program in the Albuquerque metro area.
UNM CDD oversaw coordination and facilitation of the initial planning year. NMDVR, Department of Health/DDSD, Best Buddies New Mexico and UNM Hospitals were recruited to form the collaborating partnership. From that beginning in 2013, Project SEARCH New Mexico has continued to grow.
The UNMH Project SEARCH program was the first Project SEARCH site in the state, and had its initial cohort of interns in 2014. The program was highly successful, placing all interns into competitive employment by the end of the program year, and earning the prestigious 90-99% Employment Placement Award from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Project SEARCH National.
Maintaining this impressive record of employment outcomes, UNMH Project SEARCH was also awarded the 90-99% Employment Outcome Award at the 10th Annual Project SEARCH Conference in August 2016.
Interns at UNMH learn transferrable skills in the hospital industry, including Orthopedics, Digestive Health, Linens, Outpatient Rehab, and Orthopedic Services, among others. The collaborating team consists of:
On May 2, 2017, the program was renamed The Nene & Jamie Koch Project SEARCH Training Program at UNM Hospital, in honor of Former UNM Regent Jamie Koch, who was instrumental in launching project SEARCH in New Mexico.
Embassy Suites Project SEARCH began in fall 2016. Embassy Suites is an ideal location for Project SEARCH in Albuquerque, given the high rate of state tourism, as it prepares interns for available employability in the local community.
Embassy Suites offers learning experiences in the hospitality industry that include Banquet/Refreshment Serving, Housekeeping, Bell Service, Engineering Assistant, Laundry, and Customer Service.
The collaborating agencies include:
Located in Gallup, NM, the Hilton Garden Inn - Gallup Project SEARCH program began in fall 2015. Gallup, New Mexico supports a robust tourism industry, and the Hilton Garden Inn - Gallup is an ideal business location to provide interns with employment learning experiences in the hospitality industry.
Interns participate in rotations that include Laundry, Housekeeping, Banquet/Event Serving, Maintenance, and Front Desk Customer Service both at Hilton Garden Inn and at neighboring hotels and businesses.
The Hilton Garden Inn - Gallup Project SEARCH collaboration consists of:
The Presbyterian Rust Medical Center Project SEARCH program in Rio Rancho, New Mexico began in fall 2016. Presbyterian Rust Medical Center is one of two large local hospitals in the Rio Rancho area.
Interns are offered a variety of employment learning experiences that include OBGYN, Kitchen/Cafeteria, Patient Transport, and Environmental Services which maintain hospital safety and cleanliness.
This collaboration includes:
Las Cruces Project SEARCH launched its first intern cohort in fall of 2017. Located in Las Cruces, NM, this is the first southern NM Project SEARCH site.
The collaborating partners include:
City of Farmington Municipal Services Project SEARCH began in fall 2018, graduating seven interns from Farmington Municipal Schools and Aztec Schools in its first program year.
Interns at this site learn a wide range of transferable skills offered through the City's Municipal Services - everything from airport maintenance, to museum operations, animal care and training, food preparation and service, and Human Resources office administration.
Interns at City of Farmington Municipal Services have gone on to successful employment in retail and human service industries.
Pueblo of Pojoaque Project SEARCH began in fall 2019, with eight interns from Santa Fe Public Schools and Pojoaque Schools. Interns at this site benefit from the skills training offered through the wide range of businesses within the Pueblo: Cities of Gold Hotel and Casino, the Pueblo Supermarket, True Value Hardware and Hilton Buffalo Thunder Hotel.
Alamogordo Public Schools will launch their first year of Project SEARCH in the fall of 2021 at Holloman Air Force Base. This will be the first Project SEARCH program on a military base in New Mexico. Transition students residing in Otero County are encouraged to submit their applications to Alamogordo Public Schools (APS). For more information, please contact the APS Director of Special Education, Steven Starkovich, at steven.starkovich@alamogordoschools.org
If you are a transition-age student or family member interested in applying to one of New Mexico’s eight Project SEARCH programs, please contact Alex Rios at aerios@salud.unm.edu.
View more resources for Project SEARCH in our School-to-Work Resources library.
Read the latest or previous editions of the New Mexico Project SEARCH newsletter.