Springfield College Celebrates 2025 Project SEARCH Cohort Members
Project SEARCH cohort for the Class of 2025.
By: Damon Markiewicz
On Thursday, May 22, the Springfield College campus community celebrated the Class of 2025 cohort of Project SEARCH participants. Since 2018, Springfield College has collaborated with New England Business Associates and introduced cohorts of interns who participate in the community’s Project SEARCH program. Springfield College has been the first college or university in Western Massachusetts to lead a Project SEARCH program on the campus.
The Project SEARCH cohort members at Springfield College gain valuable work experience through month-long internship rotations with a variety of departments and offices within the campus community that has included: the post office, technology services, business office, communications, marketing, archives, athletic equipment room, facilities, education department, public safety, and more. The experience gained as part of these internships on campus has led Project SEARCH cohort members to land full-time employment on campus.
“We are proud to be a part of this special program and watch the strong impact it has on our campus community,” said Springfield College Vice President for Campus Life and Inclusion Slandie Dieujuste, PhD. “Our Project SEARCH cohort members continue to be a part of a community that is inclusive and welcoming as they develop their skill sets for future employment opportunities, and they will also be able to grow as individuals as well."
The Project SEARCH mission is to support young adults with disabilities to transition from school to work through a community agency partnership while gaining employability skills. The program is dedicated to workforce development that benefits the individual, community, and workplace.
"We were so pleased to work with Project SEARCH because the cohort members did such a great job helpng us with our events this academic year," expressed Springfield College Director of Educator Preparation and Licensure Valerie Annear, M.Ed, who advocates for educator diversity and inclusion to support student learning and community building. "We couldn't have been happier to work with Project SEARCH, it was a wonderful experience."
The Project SEARCH model involves an extensive period of training and career exploration, innovation adaptations, long-term job coaching, and continues feedback from teachers, job coaches, and employers.
“This Project SEARCH program continues to provide the tools right away to participants as they try and find out what their dreams and aspirations are moving forward in searching for future career opportunities,” said Brian Benoit, Project SEARCH program coordinator at Springfield College. “We are so proud of our participants as we watch them grow so much during their time at the College.”
New England Business Associates has partnered with the Department of Developmental Services during the last 35 years to help make sure programs like Project SEARCH are available for our youth. Opening up this year's ceremony was Ruth Poirier, Project SEARCH program coordinator and division supervisor, who has been at the forefront of the Project SEARCH program at Springfield College. Joining Poirier at this year's ceremony was Sarah Peterson, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services.
Project SEARCH has more than 400 program sites in 40-plus states in the United States, as well as programs in Australia, Canada, England, Scotland, and Ireland.
The New England Business Associates’ mission is to enable individuals, who may face barriers, to be fully included in community life through employment, and to become economically empowered in a way that incorporates and creates best practices, creates valued typical societal roles, and offers individualized opportunities.
