FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
KW Habilitation
519-744-6307
[email protected]
https://kwhab.ca
Kitchener, Ontario – January 10, 2023 – KW Habilitation is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded $25,000 from RBC to support the Project SEARCH initiative. This funding, awarded in December 2022, will further support our mission to empower students with developmental disabilities through immersive, hands-on work experience and comprehensive career planning.
Project SEARCH is a transformative school-to-work training program designed specifically for students with disabilities. Originating at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 1996, the program has since expanded to over 750 sites worldwide, with a remarkable 70% of graduates securing employment within a year of graduation.
At the heart of Project SEARCH is its unique approach to training, which involves immersing students in a host business for three 10-week internships. During this time, students acquire invaluable employability skills tailored to in-demand roles in the local labor market. Under the guidance of dedicated teachers from the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, skills trainers from KW habilitation, and St. Mary’s General Hospital, students also receive individualized coaching and feedback to enhance their independence, confidence, and self-esteem.
“We are honored to receive this generous support from RBC for our Project SEARCH initiative,” said Stacey Mitchell, Manager of Community and Employment Supports at KW Habilitation. “This funding will enable us to continue providing life-changing opportunities for students with developmental disabilities in our community, equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to succeed in the workforce.”
For more than 50 years, KW Habilitation has been helping people in our community live a good live. We provide a wide range of individualized services all focused on the firm belief that our community can and should be a place where everyone belongs and participates.
For more information about KW Habilitation and its initiatives, please visit https://kwhab.ca
About KW Habilitation:
KW Habilitation is a local not-for-profit organization that provides a wide range of individualized services and supports to children with any special need and adults with developmental disabilities. We believe that a good life is fostered through early learning supports, inclusive living services, community involvement, and employment supports.
Our work is guided by our Vision Statement: “A community where everyone belongs and participates” and by our Mission Statement: “Together with our community, KW Habilitation inspires abilities to enrich the lives of children, youth, adults and families“.
About Project SEARCH:
KW Habilitation, St. Mary’s General Hospital and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board work together to host internships for students with developmental disabilities to gain employment skills. Project SEARCH Waterloo Region offers students with intellectual and developmental disabilities a unique educational work experience from September to June. The program focuses on personalized support with a combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and relevant job-skills training in a hospital setting.
