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Oakland Unified School District

Project SEARCH

Program Overview and Goals

Project SEARCH is a yearlong, full-time Monday through Friday internship for adults with IDD who have case management through the Regional Centers. Project SEARCH takes place entirely at a host business site within the community. Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and on-the-job training. The goal for each intern is to have exposure to careers in healthcare or in the public sector, to build résumés, and to attain competitive employment using the skills they have acquired. Applications are managed by eastbayinnovations.org.

 


 

Worksite Rotations

Interns build both academic and vocational skills through “hands-on” work experience in various departments throughout the host business. These unpaid student internships involve complex but routine tasks, such as, assembly, clerical, data entry, insurance verification, document filing, courier, sterilization, stocking and environmental services. Project SEARCH graduates will have opportunities to rotate through three departments during their training.

 


 

Typical Day for Project Search Interns

Project Search interns attend the internship program five days per week, Monday through Friday, typically from 9:00 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. with a 45-minute lunch.

  


 

Employment Outcomes

There have been over 36 placements of East Bay Innovations' Project SEARCH graduates so far. Children's Hospital Oakland has experienced an 89% placement rate for their first graduating class, the County of Alameda has experienced an 82% placement rate for their first graduating class and the combined placement rate for all Project SEARCH classes to date is 65%. Five individuals have been hired by the County of Alameda, one of whom became the first individual with a developmental disability to be hired by the County through their STEP UP Program. Individuals placed following Project SEARCH have an average wage of $13.18 and 65% receive benefits through their employers.

 


 

County of Alameda Project SEARCH

County of Alameda Project SEARCH is a collaborative program with the Oakland Unified School. Interns who are accepted to this site will also be enrolled in the Oakland Adult & Career Education Program. Classroom activities at the County of Alameda will be taught by a teacher from OACE. Department of Rehabilitation provides funding for the OUSD teacher and Job Coaching through East Bay Innovations is funded by RCEB. 12 interns will be accepted for this site. Job skills training will include data entry, alphanumerical filing, filing of employee documents, scanning, and other administrative office skills.

 


 

Children’s Hospital Project SEARCH

Children’s Hospital Project SEARCH is a collaborative program with the Oakland Unified School. Interns who are accepted to this site will also be enrolled in the Oakland Adult & Career Education Program. Classroom activities at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Oakland will be taught by a teacher from OACE. Department of Rehabilitation provides funding for the OUSD teacher and Job Coaching through East Bay Innovations is funded by RCEB. 12 interns will be accepted for this site. Job skills training will include data entry, alphanumerical filing, filing of employee documents, scanning, and other administrative office skills along with sterilization and stocking.

 


 

Eligibility

Applicants must be at least 22 years of age by the specific program start date or graduated with a high school diploma, have an active case with the Regional Center of the East Bay and be able to meet the health, background and code of conduct criteria required by the program business site. Most importantly, applicants must have a commitment to work and demonstrate the ability to learn the tasks offered by either site and maintain excellent attendance and professionalism. Applicants will be reviewed and eligible applicants will be called to arrange interviews.

 


 

More information about Project SEARCH and applications can be found at eastbayinnovations.org 

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Contact Information

Lori Kotsonas

East Bay Innovations

(510) 618-1580 ext. 15