Students with disabilities gaining new skills at Cambridge Memorial Hospital

A program at Cambridge Memorial Hospital is giving high school students with disabilities a chance to learn some new skills before entering the workforce.

Project SEARCH was implemented at the hospital in September. It’s a partnership between the hospital, KW Habilitation and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, providing students with disabilities that are in their last year of high school a chance to gain hands-on work experience.

Four students are taking turns in four departments at the hospital throughout the year: food services, the Medical Day Clinic, the Medical Device Reprocessing Department, and in human resources.

“The program provides an opportunity for the students to demonstrate what they already know, what they're already good at, the skills they already have that they might not have had an opportunity to display in a classroom setting. Then they're also, on top of that, gaining new skills that are going to be personally life changing for these students when they graduate,” Johanna Gallagher, the Project SEARCH Instructor with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board said.

Intern Robert Woods works in the Human Resources Department at Cambridge Memorial Hospital on Dec. 3, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)

The hospital said it’s noticed the positive change in the building after the interns started working there.

“We communicated to be watching for them. ‘Please welcome them.’ People have come up to me and said, ‘hey, I saw some interns. We spoke with them downstairs and they're so fun.’ So, yes, absolutely. I think it changes everything, changes your outlook on everything when you come into work and you know, you can help somebody else,” Cheryl Vandervalk, Recruitment Specialist for Cambridge Memorial Hospital, said.

The school board already has students interning at Kitchener's St. Mary's Hospital and partnered with Cambridge to expand the program this year.

“I hope next year we double [the number of participants]. We’ll have eight interns. That's my goal,” Vandervalk said.

Intern Sam Devereaux works in the Medical Day Clinic at Cambridge Memorial Hospital on Dec. 3, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)

The students have a classroom in the hospital and learn how to use transit to get to work.

Marina Pereira, has been working in the Medical Device Reprocessing Department

“My people skills weren't as good as what I have now,” Marina Pereira, an intern in the Medical Device Reprocessing Department said.

Each intern provides needed help in the different departments.

“I like hanging out with my coworkers and joining the team,” Hannah Felker, an intern in the food services area said.

“CEO's schedule, daily schedules, do some scans, like printing out things they send me, sending emails,” Robert Woods, an intern in Human Resources, described his responsibilities.

“I put stickers into binders and I clean the rooms,” Sam Devereaux, an intern in the Medical Day Clinic, said.

“I like it because you get to see what's going on behind the surgeries and what they use,” Pereira said.

Intern Hannah Felker works in the food services area at Cambridge Memorial Hospital on Dec. 3, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)

Project SEARCH was developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 1996 and is implemented in over 750 sites worldwide. Deveraux recommends others take part if they can.

“I learn a lot of new skills and a lot of new people and observe new skills so I can learn what it's like out there in the real world,” Devereaux said.

The students still have several months left in their internships, but each one has their eyes set on a fulltime job after graduation.

“I either want to work at the hospital or a retirement home. Because I like to interact with the patients,” Felker said.

“Maybe working in the Kitchener Auditorium. I'm a big hockey fan,” Woods said. “Scanning tickets, maybe doing food and that, doing food service, to help me learn how to do the food and that there.”

“I really want to work at the movie theaters, because I've seen the jobs they do there, and they look really, really fun. I want to do all of them, if I can,” Devereaux said.

“My dream is broadcasting,” Pereira, who wants to be a hockey broadcaster, said. “I love watching it. I know some of the stats.”