Last Friday marked a joyful celebration as parents, program participants, and program leaders of Project SEARCH at BayHealth convened in-person to celebrate the graduating Class of 2021.

Project SEARCH gives high school students with disabilities real-world work experience to help prepare them for the workforce. Now in its seventh year, the SEARCH program at BayHealth offers 31 unique types of internships where interns gain employable skills, meet mentors, and make lifelong friendships along the way.

Friday’s ceremony was filled with joy and laughter. This year’s eight graduates took the stage to receive their certificates, and now they prepare to begin their careers, with a number of them already hired in full-time jobs.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with the Project SEARCH program,” said program mentor Eric Lewis. “When you leave here and go into the workforce they’re going to ask you, ‘Do you have experience?’ And you’re going to be able to say, ‘Yes I do.’”

A huge shoutout to our superstar partners at Project SEARCH – Dover, Delaware, the Capital School District, Bayhealth Medical Center, POW&R / Autism Delaware, Delaware Division of Developmental Disabilities Services – DDDS, Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired, and congratulations to our graduates: Da’vion, Dominic, Tykee, Victoria, Terry, Shakeema, Jack, and Jeremiah!