WVU Medicine’s second class of Project SEARCH interns graduated yesterday (May 26) as part of a ceremony at WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital.
Project SEARCH is an internship experience for students with mild and moderate special needs. The program was first established at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in 1996, and Ruby Memorial Hospital is the first Project SEARCH site in the state.
The class included five students: Benjamin Chicchi from University High School; Lane Fox and Julianna “Jules” Heldreth from East Fairmont High School; Justin Michael from North Marion High School; and Garritt Neel from Grafton High School. These interns spent the year at Ruby where they rotated through a number of job roles. Project SEARCH serves as the student interns’ capstone educational experience and often leads to employment once the internships are complete.
Project SEARCH is coordinated and hosted by WVU Medicine and supported by the West Virginia Department of Education. Together, in partnership with other community organizations, they create a one-year immersion experience that combines classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through worksite rotations. Participating community organizations include the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities; West Virginia University; West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services; local school systems in Marion, Monongalia, Preston, and Taylor counties; PACE Enterprises; Mitsubishi Electric Foundation; and Fairmont Disability Action Center.
Pictured below, left to right, are Kim Hartsell, director of Volunteer Services and Friends Gift Shop; Nick Lafferty, instructor; graduates Garritt Neel, Justin Michael, and Julianna “Jules” Heldreth; Stephen Callen, PACE skills trainer; graduates Benjamin Chicchi and Lane Fox; and Colleen Sybert, vice president, Human Resources, WVU Hospitals.
