Mentoring & Internships

Able & Willing

A captioned video of stories about people with disabilities and businesses working together to create successful mentorships, internships and long-term employment opportunities.
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American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Internship Program

Information on the AAAS ENTRY POINT! internship program, which was developed to encourage science, technology, engineering and mathematics students with disabilities to apply their skills in a real-world professional setting.

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American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Mental & Physical Disability Law Mentor Program

Program is open to law students with all types of disabilities, including learning disabilities. Matches law students with practicing attorneys, taking into account the students' interest in being matched with lawyers who have disabilities, the types of disabilities, geographical location and practice areas of interest.
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Best Practices Guide in Mentoring Youth with Disabilities

A guide on best practices and programs for mentoring young people with disabilities, including suggestions on starting or expanding a program to include youth with disabilities. This report can be downloaded in PDF or Word format.

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Blazing the Trail: A New Direction for Youth Development & Youth Leadership

Report from the Blazing the Trail Summit which was held August 16-17, 2007 in Washington, DC. The Summit focused on what needs to be done to improve policies and practices in youth development and leadership, and to ensure that youth with disabilities have the same opportunities available to all other youth. The entire report may be downloaded in PDF or Word formats.

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Career-Focused Mentoring for Youth: The What, Why & How

Fact sheet about the importance of career-focused mentoring. Includes examples of mentoring activities that assist youth in achieving skills to transition successfully into adulthood.
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Connecting to Success

Electronic mentoring program designed to promote successful transition of youth with disabilities (including physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities) to adult life.
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DO-IT (Disabilities Opportunities Internetworking & Technology) Program

Program designed to increase participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers, especially through the use of computers and technology.

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Disability Mentoring Day

Information from the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) on Disability Mentoring Day, a nationwide effort held every year in October to promote career development for students with disabilities through hands-on career exploration.

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Mentoring Youth with Disabilities

Fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Labor provides information on the importance of mentoring for youth with disabilities.
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National Collaborative on Workforce & Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Initiative

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSA) initiative, identifies key skills and abilities that youth service practitioners, policymakers, organizations and individuals can use to improve program quality and youth outcomes. Youth service practitioners with the necessary KSAs can provide all youth with a wider variety of opportunities, resources, and services to make a positive transition to adulthood and the world of work.
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Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)/Youth

Information from the Department of Labor on employment of youth with disabilities, including resources related to transition.
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Paving The Way to Work

A guide for individuals designing mentoring programs for youth, including youth with disabilities, in the transition phase to adulthood.
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Paving the Way to Work: A Guide to Career-Focused Mentoring for Youth with Disabilities

This guide is for individuals designing mentoring programs for youth, including youth with disabilities, in the transition phase to adulthood.
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Project SEARCH

The Department of Labor's (DOL) Frances Perkins Building now serves as a school house and workplace for up to a dozen DC high school seniors with cognitive disabilities participating in a program called Project SEARCH. Each day students report to DOL to learn employability skills in the classroom and job skills while participating in three internships during the year. View photos from the Project SEARCH 2010 graduation ceremony.

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Students of New Federal Project Graduate, Pursue Jobs at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

Nine high school students with disabilities graduated from a new DOL work experience program. Project SEARCH - Federal Sector Program was founded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy and its project partners: Project SEARCH - Cincinnati, the District of Columbia (DC) Public Schools, the DC Rehabilitation Services Administration/Department on Disabilities Services and the Kennedy Institute of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Washington. Graduates received work experience in general office and computer skills as well as the general skills required in the world of work.

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Washington Center for Internships & Academic Seminars

The Washington Center offers internships and other educational opportunities for students with disabilities.

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Workforce Intermediaries: Strategic Connections for Youth with Disabilities

Fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) provides information on workforce intermediaries, organizations that proactively address workforce needs using an approach which considers the needs of both employees and employers, and how they can help youth with disabilities become employed.
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Youthhood Web Site

A free, interactive website that young adults and their teachers, parents and mentors can use to plan for life after high school.
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