Helping young adults find their voice

When a teacher from Central High School first suggested that Emma Monk might be a candidate for a vocational training program hosted at Gundersen Health System called Project SEARCH, her parents, Heather and Brian were uncertain.

Emma, a person with Down Syndrome, was often hesitant about interacting with people outside of her immediate family, so the Monks did not know if the program's goal of helping students with intellectual and physical disabilities achieve competitive employment would be a good fit. In the end, the Monks decided to apply, and Emma was accepted into the 2023-2024 cohort.

"Project SEARCH has been a life-changing experience for Emma and our entire family," says Heather. "The program really helped Emma come out of her shell: she developed interpersonal skills, built strong relationships and proved she is an amazingly reliable and dedicated worker. We are so grateful to everyone who makes Project SEARCH possible."

Since 2020, Gundersen Medical Foundation has provided annual grant funding to support the program. This funding, believes instructor Laura Anderson, has helped make Project SEARCH especially powerful. "Community members who support the Foundation should know that every single intern in this program has been touched by their generosity," shares Laura.

JOB SKILLS AND A WHOLE LOT MORE
Project SEARCH is an international program with a total of 730 sites, including 29 in Wisconsin. The La Crosse program was launched in 2017 with Gundersen Health System serving as the location for the programming and the Holmen School District holding the site license. Additional support for Project SEARCH is offered by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and Aptiv, a disability services and support organization located in La Crosse.

While some Project SEARCH sites offer vocational training to adults, the La Crosse program is a student site that annually enrolls up to 12 interns (18-21 years old) who have completed the high school credits necessary to graduate. Each week during the school year, students attend class (Monday through Friday) for about 1.5 hours per day and work at internship sites (within Gundersen) for 5 hours. Each intern completes rotations in three different departments throughout Gundersen, so they can explore a variety of roles and practice different skills. During her school year, Emma completed rotations in Central Services (where she stocked the case cart and helped sterilize and wrap surgical instruments), Food Services (where she prepared food for the hospital patients and staff), and Family Medicine (where she cleaned exam and waiting areas, worked with inventory/ stocking, collected confidential mail and helped medical assistants "turn over" patient rooms). "Through these placements, Emma learned she is a gifted organizer and pays attention to detail," shares Heather. "These are skills that Emma is proud of, and they translate directly into a variety of business settings."

Project SEARCH's primary goal is to build vocational skills that will result in the interns gaining employment for at least 16 hours per week and, according to Laura, the numbers show the program works. "Nationally, the average employment rate for individuals with disabilities is 20%, but the rate for Project SEARCH graduates is approximately 76%," she explains, adding that numbers for the La Crosse program have ranged from 50 to 100% depending on the year.

Laura is proud of the employment rates because they are tied directly to program outcomes, yet it is the individual growth and empowerment of each student that she finds most compelling. "Most of our students finish Project SEARCH feeling more independent, more empowered and more fulfilled in their lives," says Laura. "Many students find their voice; the impact can be transformational."

ADDING LAYERS OF IMPACT
Laura goes on to share just how the grants received from the Foundation have significantly enriched the Project SEARCH experience. For example, each fall, the cohort travels to Wisconsin Dells to attend the Self-Determination Conference. This conference is designed for adults with disabilities and aims to help them find independence. As a result, most students find the conference programming alone to be impactful.

Additionally, the experience of traveling and staying together in a condominium (with opportunities to share and reflect at the end of each day) changes students. "Some interns have never spent time away from home without their family, so this is an opportunity to practice independence within a supervised group setting," says Laura. "Each student's experience is different, but we are never the same group when we come back as we were when we left. The life lessons, the friendships, the independence…these things can all foster dynamic change."

The grant funding also allows the La Crosse site to establish a partnership with a Project SEARCH class in Arkansas. The students in different states get to know each other by becoming pen pals in the fall, and then each spring, the La Crosse interns travel to Arkansas to meet their peers and tour other Project SEARCH sites. This trip offers even more educational opportunities since it requires an airplane flight, navigation of a larger city, opportunities to practice social skills and lessons in cultural diversity.

Outside of these educational travel opportunities, grant funding has also allowed for the purchase of technology (including iPhones with apps offering assistive technology and timers that interns use on the job), uniforms (polo shirts and work jackets) and other educational materials. The grant also provides funds for meals and clothing items for any intern whose family may not have the means to afford these necessities.

One of the most popular and creative things to come from the grant is also something that makes the program's math curriculum more engaging and realistic. Early in the term, Laura gets to know her students and then uses what she learns about them to purchase desirable items she sets up in a "school store." The interns practice skills like punching into work on time, calculating imaginary paychecks, budgeting, saving and, eventually, shopping from the school store.

During my year in Project SEARCH, I have learned things about myself. I feel changed and more able to be myself.

Of course, the mentors from various departments within Gundersen who train and supervise the interns for 25 hours per week are essential. "Our program would not be possible without the dedication of our mentors," says Laura. "In addition to training interns for 25 hours per week, they attend program meetings, write evaluations and provide lots of support and encouragement." To date, 20 departments within Gundersen have supported Project SEARCH by hosting an intern.

That is why, thanks to the grant funding, Laura has added mentor appreciation lunches and other recognition opportunities, as well as an end-of-year graduation celebration. The program's mentors and each student's family are invited to the graduation ceremony, which features speeches from each intern.

Though Emma's family was able to witness her transformation firsthand, hearing Emma reflect on her personal and professional growth as part of her graduation speech was especially inspiring. "During my year in Project SEARCH, I have learned things about myself. I feel changed and more able to be myself. I make more decisions for myself and share my ideas more. I also think I have more friends now because of this program," shared Emma. "Project SEARCH has also helped me be better prepared for the world of work. It has helped me to learn how to work independently. It has helped me to learn how to do my best work. I have learned that I am good at being organized!"

In fact, the job skills and confidence Emma developed through her Project SEARCH experience helped Emma land what she considers her "dream job" in the fashion industry. Since September 2024, Emma has been working part-time at Duluth Trading Company in downtown La Crosse where her organizational skills are an asset.

"Emma's story offers a tangible example of how community support for Gundersen Medical Foundation changes lives," says Laura. "Emma was a reserved young woman without a voice who was uncertain about her place in the world. Today, she has a voice, and she knows her value."

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