Project SEARCH®

07/21/2025

Project SEARCH® is a unique, business-led, nine-month employment readiness training program for young adults with developmental disabilities that takes place entirely at the workplace. It is a collaborative initiative that involves businesses, educational institutions, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Developmental Disability Organizations, and Supported Employment Agencies.

“We are so proud of this program and the many, many Arkansas youth that we have helped across the state throughout the years,” said Arkansas Rehabilitation Services Commissioner Joseph Baxter. “Project SEARCH® has been one of our most successful programs, and we are excited for our accomplishments to continue for many more years to come.”

Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of employability training, work, and life skills: money management, professionalism, technology, soft skills, and social skills. Interns complete three ten-week internship rotations at a partnering host business with the goal of gaining the necessary skills to obtain competitive integrated employment.

“This is such a wonderful program that helps our young people in the state get the assistance they need to find their career path,” said Arkansas Project SEARCH ® Statewide Coordinator Judy Smith. “We can’t thank our partners enough for making such a difference in so many lives.”

Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) supports ten (10) Project SEARCH® sites around the state: