What an honor to be joined by First Lady of Pennsylvania Lori Shapiro and PA Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker at an event on Tuesday recognizing The School District of Philadelphia as an outstanding partner in the PA InVEST project, which is opening new doors to employment for people with disabilities across the Commonwealth.

CIS—in partnership with KenCrest and the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute—has played an integral role in the project, bringing on the School District of Philadelphia as an employer-partner committed to providing fully integrated employment for jobseekers with a disability.

The District’s partnership has been unparalleled: since September 2025, it has hired 14 individuals—all of whom are former District students—and placed them in a range of roles matched to their skills, from Administrative Support and Food Service positions to Educational Assistants in District classrooms.

CIS Assistant Executive Director Julia Blackwell spoke at the event. Standing alongside First Lady Shapiro, Secretary Walker, and Dianne Malley, head of Transition Pathways at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Blackwell lauded the District for its extraordinary work: “These are not just jobs,” she said. “These are meaningful career pathways located in everyone’s communities in Philadelphia, right where they live.”

We are very grateful to First Lady Shapiro, Secretary Walker, and to Governor Josh Shapiro, whose proposed 2026-27 budget calls for increasing state funding by $1 million for OVR to expand services and support more Pennsylvanians with disabilities.

Head to https://pacast.com/m?p=29485 to check out the full video from the press conference and to learn more about PA InVEST!