Project SEARCH Family Information Night

Family Information Night: March 31, 2020

Deadline to Apply: Friday, April 3, 2020

Learn how youth with disabilities (ages 17-26) can become involved in this unique transition to work internship program for the 2020-2021 school year!

In partnership with Boca West Country Club, Unicorn Children’s Foundation and Unicorn Village Academy launched a job training internship program for young adults with disabilities in August of 2018. Interns ranged in age from 17-24 years of age who have an intellectual or developmental disability which makes it statistically more difficult for them to find jobs upon completion of high school. The unemployment rate for youth with disabilities is approximately 80% despite their ability and willingness to work.

Student Eligibility Criteria:

• Students with a variety of developmental disabilities

• Appropriate hygiene, social and communication skills

• Ability to take direction and change behavior

• Eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation

• Access public transportation

• Pass drug screen, background check, immunizations - whatever is required of other employees

• Desire to Work!

Apply Now:

https://www.unicornchildrensfoundation.org/uploads/1/0/8/1/108108451/student_application_2020-2021.pdf

Gateway to Inclusive Employment: APSE 2019

Our CEO Sharon Alexander has been at the National Association for People Supporting Employment First conference in St. Louis! She has so many great ideas to bring back to Unicorn Children’s Foundation!

Hiring Those With Disabilities Isn’t Charity, It’s Good Business

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – Any time Bet-R Neighborhood Market owner Cliff Boulden has a job opening, he tries to hire a person with an intellectual or developmental disability—not as a sign of sympathy, but because he sees them as an untapped workforce that’s eager to stock shelves and read labels.

Boulden already knows many of them through his involvement with the Greater Baton Rouge Hope Academy, the alma mater of his 25-year-old daughter, Molly, who is developmentally delayed. After Molly aged out of the school a few years ago, Boulden hired her part-time as a way to keep her busy and focused. But since then, he’s also brought on at least a half-dozen of her friends with special needs, who now comprise roughly 15% of his payroll.

“If you can find the thing they do well, they’re just as good as anybody else,” Boulden says of the group of mostly 20-somethings, who start out earning minimum wage. “The only drawback is that I can’t hire all of them.”

Continue reading

One Billion Disabled People Just Hit The Business Radar

We're making it happen!

https://www.forbes.com/sites/denisebrodey/2019/06/03/one-billion-disabled-people-just-hit-the-business-radar/#bf60dc94f27e

Project SEARCH: Community Impact

There was an applicant at the Project SEARCH Skills Assessment Day who 6 years ago required a personal aide and had a code word when his behavior became uncontrollable at his previous school. Additionally, most of his conversations revolved around Disney movie scripts. After attending Unicorn Village Academy for the past 5 years, he now takes Uber to a part-time job where he recently received a raise following his performance review. At the assessment at Boca West Country Club, he was identified as the top pick by all department managers. Some of the characteristics that were shared included: self-starter, critical self-checker, best conversationalist, detail oriented, and meticulous.

Together, we are clearly opening doors to opportunities for personal growth and inclusion. Thank you for all that you do to support these efforts!

Project SEARCH Skills Assessment Day

Time to select our 2nd cohort of Project SEARCH interns at Boca West Country Club today!

Last Call for Project SEARCH Applicants!!!

If you know of an individual with intellectual or developmental disabilities between the ages of 18 and 26 who is interested in obtaining competitive and marketable skills for a career, please share this information about our Project SEARCH program and have them apply for the second class of interns at Boca West Country Club by THIS Friday, April 12, 2019.

https://www.unicornchildrensfoundation.org/uploads/1/0/8/1/108108451/student_application_2018-2019.pdf

Apply Today for Project SEARCH

If you know of an individual with intellectual or developmental disabilities between the ages of 18 and 26 who is interested in obtaining competitive and marketable skills for a career, please share this information about our Project SEARCH program and have them apply for the second class of interns at Boca West Country Club by January 31, 2019.

Click here

Project SEARCH Information Night Last Night

We appreciate everyone who attended the Project SEARCH Information Night last night at Unicorn Village Academy! A special thank you to Matthew Linderman, Chief Operating Officer & General Manager of Boca West Country Club, and Douglas A. Vogel, Special Care Planner, MassMutual for your presentations. The application is now available online here.

Project SEARCH Information Night TOMORROW!!

Don't miss out on this opportunity tomorrow!!

RSVP: ivonne@eunicorn.org or 561-620-9377 x 306

Project SEARCH Information Night This Thursday!

Join us this Thursday for Project SEARCH information night!

The unemployment rate for youth with disabilities is approximately 80% despite their ability and willingness to work. With the launch of the Project SEARCH site at Boca West Country Club, it is expected that at least 74% of interns will find competitive and meaningful employment following graduation.

RSVP to ivonne@eunicorn.org

Unicorn Village Academy: National Disability Awareness Month

October is #NationalDisabilityEmploymentAwarenessMonth, and Unicorn Village Academy is #InTheSpotlight!

We are so proud of our hard-working students!!