Six interns recently graduated from Project SEARCH, a nine-month program for young adults with disabilities that provides hands-on and classroom work-related skills.

Project SEARCH is a partnership with host business Northside Hospital-Cherokee, Cross Plains Community Partner, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, Cherokee Navigator Team and the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities to develop daily job tasks for the interns.

The uniformed interns reported to Northside Hospital-Cherokee five days a week and participated in a variety of jobs called rotations. Job rotations for each intern are 3-10 weeks throughout the course of the program.

Interns begin their day at 8:00 am in the classroom, where they learn business soft-skills; they then report to their job and complete their day around 2:00 pm in the classroom. Project SEARCH employs two employment specialists to assist interns and hospital staff for the entire day. The ultimate goal is to use the skills they learn to gain competitive employment within the community, said Elizabeth Hunter, supported employment manager for Cross Plains Community Partner.