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Arlington ISD and Arlington Memorial report Project SEARCH internships for students with disabilities
Summary
District staff described a new Project SEARCH partnership with Arlington Memorial Hospital that places seven interns in workplace internships and provides on‑site classroom instruction, job coaching and employer mentorship aimed at competitive employment.
Arlington ISD presented details Feb. 6 on Project SEARCH, a workplace‑based internship program for students with significant disabilities run in partnership with Arlington Memorial Hospital and the employment services provider Quest.
Patty Bustamante, who introduced the report, said seven Arlington ISD interns are enrolled in the district’s first Project SEARCH cohort. Project SEARCH combines classroom instruction, hands‑on workplace rotations and career exploration at a host employer; the program places interns in three 10‑week rotations across hospital departments.
Bustamante said the district provides a classroom teacher and a job coach, Quest provides an additional job coach, and Arlington Memorial provides department mentors called “Promise Pals.” The program’s goal is competitive employment; staff said Quest continues to work with interns after graduation and provides 90 days of follow‑up to support job retention.
Caroline Peterson, the district’s Project SEARCH teacher, described the daily schedule: morning classroom instruction focused on employability skills and travel training; afternoon workplace rotations in food and nutrition, housekeeping, transport and lab; and social activities and community outings. Staff said the students use an on‑demand transportation app for travel to the hospital and receive orientation and HR‑required clearances to work in clinical areas.
Selection for the program, Bustamante said, uses a rubric completed by vocational teachers, an online application by the student/family, and an interview panel that includes representatives from Arlington Memorial, Arlington ISD, the Texas workforce agency, MHMR and Quest. Programs generally interview 15–20 candidates and select eight to 10; this year seven interns are participating.
District staff said Project SEARCH supports social skills, job‑readiness and community integration, and emphasized the program’s goal of placing interns into paid employment. The board heard the informational report; no action was required.
