Project SEARCH Interns Participate in Experience Wilderness Inquiry Canoe Mobile Program

(October 1, 2014) - Upper Valley Project SEARCH took a journey on the wild side for the second year in a row recently with interns participating in an autumn outdoor leadership and team building program.

Project SEARCH is a one-year, high school transition program that provides training and education with the goal of competitive community employment for individuals with disabilities. 

Ten Upper Valley Project SEARCH interns currently serving at Upper Valley Medical Center (UVMC) recently engaged in a series of outdoor adventures coordinated by the Wilderness Inquiry Canoe Mobile program, a non-profit organization that provides all people access to the outdoors.  The interns received employment-related skills from this opportunity including: interviewing, dealing with others, team building, mobility, defining and overcoming fears and making healthy life choices. 

The interns included Megan Kendell, Antwan Hill, Alex Ruffin and Breanne Tope of Troy; Tristan Yingst of Covington; Raymond Naumoff of Tipp City; and Alexandera Divens, Austin Long, Brice Refus and Brandt Verdier of Sidney.  

This is the fifth year for the Upper Valley Project SEARCH collaboration between the Upper Valley Career Center, UVMC, Boards of Developmental Disabilities in Miami and Shelby counties, the state Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, and Capabilities Inc.

The recent wilderness program was held on land and water. Participants spent part of one day on the UVMC campus working on team building and leadership activities which included tent set up and tear down and other exercises. The goals were to develop a realization of ways to exercise, relax with friends, and recognize the beauty of the environment and the desire to seek out other local outdoor opportunities.

“These activities empower the interns to problem solve, define personal space and develop a real sense of what they bring to the table,” said Patti Moore, Project SEARCH coordinator.  “The UVMC campus provided a great learning environment.”

Other activities included paddle safety instruction, exposure to public parks and time paddling in canoes on the Great Miami River and Lake Loramie in Shelby County. 

“The Wilderness Inquiry program went beyond my expectations for interns to be empowered. I love my job and desire that each person with a disability has the same opportunity to discover what they are born to do,” Moore said. “This wilderness experience has opened doors, empowered these interns, and has made a lasting impression that is affecting their personal career journey.”

The program will resume in May when the Project SEARCH interns will participate in a camping trip. 

To learn more about Upper Valley Project Search, call 440-7431. For further information about the Wilderness Inquiry Canoe Mobile program, visit WildernessInquiry.org.

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