Oct. 11, 2023
Community Invited to Celebrate Inclusion and Project SEARCH Interns
This October, in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Lee Health is working to highlight the vital role that people with disabilities play in an inclusive workforce.
Lee Health takes inclusivity seriously, and we are committed to creating and sustaining an environment, a workplace that enables people of all ages, ethnicities, religious and cultural backgrounds, and with various skills and abilities to succeed. We do this in many ways, but one example is Project SEARCH.
A one-year transition from school to work program, Project SEARCH helps high school students with intellectual or developmental disabilities cultivate and develop life and work skills appropriate for competitive employment. The School District of Lee County, Center for Independent Living and Vocational Rehabilitation also support Project SEARCH.
Project SEARCH follows the calendar for The School District of Lee County, so the newest cohort of interns joined our team in August and are currently working at HealthPark Medical Center and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. Throughout the year, the students receive education through the school district, and they learn about the “five Ps,” which include being polite, prompt, prepared, productive and positive. While with us at Lee Health, they gain experience working in a variety of areas, including, but not limited to, Guest Services, Food and Nutrition Services, Central Supply and Sterile Processing. They also work in service roles in patient care areas, like the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Pediatric Sedation, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Inpatient Pediatrics, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), Endoscopy and many more. The interns learn multiple roles to enhance their transferrable skills.
We are proud to host and participate in the Project SEARCH program. It is rewarding to empower these students to gain valuable and transferrable skills that will help them earn meaningful, competitive employment and independence.
On Saturday, Oct. 21, Lee Health is hosting a “Celebration in the Park” to honor the important contributions of workers with disabilities and to celebrate our Project SEARCH interns. Our community is invited to enjoy music and food and learn about local resources that help people of all ages who are seeking a meaningful career or assistance.
Join us and Taylor Petras, WINK News Anchor and Master of Ceremonies, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21, at Estero Community Park (9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd.). There will be family-friendly activities, including trick-or-treating, face painting, blow-up obstacle courses, food trucks and more. There also will be a Halloween Costume Contest. Registration is not necessary for attendance or participation, but if you register your child for the Halloween Costume Contest, they will receive a small treat and a guaranteed spot in the contest. To register, go to https://leehealth.wufoo.com/forms/z1e6p057015s9m2/