Project SEARCH
Donna Peterson is an experienced educator and skills trainer with a diverse background in teaching and program development. Currently serving as a Skills Trainer at Project SEARCH since August 2022, Donna also operates Donna's Accessible Programs for Learning as an Instructor since September 2021. Previously, Donna worked as an English Second Language Instructor at KidPlay Canada from September 2022 to February 2024, and as an Arrowsmith Teacher at the Learning Disabilities Association of Manitoba from August 2019 to July 2021.
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Project SEARCH
Project SEARCH was developed at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, a research environment that fosters visionary thinking and innovation. It all began in 1996, when Erin Riehle was Director of Cincinnati Children's Emergency Department. Erin felt that, because the hospital served individuals with developmental disabilities, it made sense that they should commit to hiring people in this group. She wondered if it would be possible to train people with developmental disabilities to fill some of the high-turnover, entry level positions in her department, which involved complex and systematic tasks such as stocking supply cabinets. As a starting point, Erin presented her ideas to Susie Rutkowski, then the special education director at Great Oaks Career Campuses. Erin and Susie formed a partnership that was instantaneous, and together they launched Project SEARCH. Since its inception, Project SEARCH has grown from a single program site at Cincinnati Children's to over 600 sites across the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Portugal, Iceland, New Zealand and Australia. Project SEARCH's primary objective is to secure competitive employment for people with disabilities.