The City of Peterborough has officially launched Project SEARCH, an internationally recognized internship program that helps young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities transition into the workforce.
City officials, educators and partners gathered Friday to celebrate the start of the program’s first local cohort. Six interns will spend the 2025–26 academic year immersed in City departments, gaining hands-on experience through three job rotations.
“This program opens real pathways to employment,” a City spokesperson said. “Interns are gaining skills directly in the workplace, surrounded by teams who want to see them succeed.”
Project SEARCH operates entirely at the host business, pairing classroom instruction with daily workplace immersion. Interns will rotate through placements in areas such as People and Culture, Children’s Services, Environmental Services, Recreation, Cultural Services, the Peterborough Public Library, the Art Gallery of Peterborough and the Riverview Park and Zoo. Peterborough Transit is providing free bus transportation throughout the internship.
Representatives from the program’s education partners say the model gives participants meaningful experience that traditional classrooms can’t replicate. “Workplace-based learning builds confidence and job readiness in a way no other program does,” a PVNC Catholic District School Board representative said.
Project SEARCH, which began at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, now operates in more than 750 sites across 10 countries. The program reports a 70 per cent job-placement success rate for graduating interns.
“This is about creating opportunities that lead to long-term employment,” a Fleming College Muskoka-Kawarthas Employment Services representative said. “Our community benefits when everyone has the chance to contribute their skills.”
The program is funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Education, with Project SEARCH staff providing ongoing support as the interns advance through their placements.
