Nebraska Project SEARCH — How the Program Works and Where to Find It

Project SEARCH is a one-year immersive work experience program designed to bridge school-based transition services and competitive employment for students with disabilities in their last year of educational eligibility.

How Project SEARCH Works

The model is simple and intensive: instead of spending their final school year in a classroom, students report to a real business every day. They rotate through three different internships (roughly 10-12 weeks each) at the host business site. A job coach and a transition teacher work on-site alongside the students. The classroom is in the business — not the school building.

Each rotation exposes the student to a different department and job type. The goal is competitive integrated employment at the host site or a similar employer by the end of the program year.

The program combines:

• Daily on-site instruction in employability skills
• Three sequential unpaid internships in real departments
• Job coaching and support from a dedicated on-site team
• Direct coordination with Nebraska VR for post-program employment support

Eligibility in Nebraska

Project SEARCH targets students in their final year of transition eligibility — typically students ages 18-21 who are still receiving school services. A Certificate of Attendance is one route that can preserve FAPE through age 21, but it is not a Project SEARCH eligibility requirement. The student must:

• Have a documented disability (IEP or 504)
• Be in their final year of educational eligibility
• Want competitive integrated employment as an outcome
• Be willing to commit to a full-year, full-day program at the host site

The selection process is competitive. Students apply and interview, just as they would for a job. Program sites have limited slots, and candidates who demonstrate motivation, reliability, and a genuine interest in working are prioritized.

Nebraska Locations

Project SEARCH in Nebraska operates through partnerships between school districts, Nebraska VR, and host businesses. The University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI) coordinates several sites across the state. Bennington Public Schools runs a Project SEARCH partnership connecting students with host employers in the Omaha metro area.

Because host businesses change and new sites open periodically, the best way to find current locations is through your school's transition coordinator or by contacting Nebraska VR directly. The Munroe-Meyer Institute also maintains information on active Project SEARCH sites in the state.

How It Connects to the IEP and VR

Project SEARCH should be written into the transition IEP the year before the student enters the program. The IEP goals should reference the expected work experiences, the employability skills instruction, and the anticipated transition from school services to adult VR support at program completion.

Nebraska VR is typically involved from the beginning — the student should have an active Pre-ETS relationship or adult VR application in process before entering Project SEARCH. When the program year ends and the student exits school, VR continues with supported employment services if needed: job development, on-the-job coaching, and follow-up through the 90-day stabilization period.

The hand-off matters. Without VR involvement, a student who finishes Project SEARCH but doesn't immediately land a permanent position has no structured employment support after school exit.

What Makes It Effective

Project SEARCH works because it eliminates the artificial divide between "learning about work" and "doing work." Students aren't practicing in a simulated environment — they're showing up to a real business, meeting real performance expectations, and building a track record that employers can evaluate.

The rotation model also helps students and employers find the right fit. A student who struggles in a kitchen rotation might excel in a mailroom or custodial role. Three rotations produce real data about job match that no classroom assessment can replicate.

Questions Families Should Ask

• When is the application deadline? Most sites recruit in the spring for the following school year.
• What is the host business? The specific employer matters — a hospital site offers different job types than a hotel or manufacturing facility.
• How many students are accepted? Typical sites take 8-12 students per year.
• What happens if the student doesn't get hired at the host site? The program should have a clear plan for VR-supported job development with other employers.
• Is Nebraska VR already involved? If not, start the referral process before the student applies.

The Nebraska IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide covers Project SEARCH eligibility requirements, application preparation, and how to integrate the program into the transition IEP timeline alongside VR referrals and adult service applications.

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