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Board approves Project SEARCH MOU with UF Health to expand internships for neurodivergent students
Summary
The board voted to approve a memorandum of understanding to continue Project SEARCH, a workplace immersion partnership with UF Health that aims to provide internship and employment pathways for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Alachua County School Board voted to approve a memorandum of understanding to continue Project SEARCH in partnership with UF Health Shands Hospital and University of Florida College of Medicine.
District presenters described Project SEARCH as a high‑school program that offers classroom instruction plus three unpaid rotations at hospital sites and on‑site job coaching. Presenters said UF Health hired 19 ACPS students over three years and that last year five of eight interns were hired by Shands. The presentation emphasized transition supports, job coaches, and partnerships with the Center for Independent Living, Florida Vocational Rehabilitation and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
Board members praised the program. "This is an amazing program," Dr. Rockwell said, adding that community visibility was a reason to bring it as an action item rather than a consent item. Staff asked the board to approve the MOU to continue roles and responsibilities for the 2026–27 school year; the motion passed 4–0.
Why it matters: The MOU formalizes district support for an internship pipeline that district staff and presenters said has produced paid hires and job‑readiness for students who have been historically underemployed.
