The transition from school to adulthood can feel overwhelming.
Finding meaningful work, learning workplace expectations, and building confidence are big milestones for any young person. For students in Spartan Project SEARCH, those lessons happen through something powerful: real-world experience.
This year, interns in Spartan Project SEARCH spent time learning and growing through internship experiences across Michigan State University. Hosted through a partnership between Ingham Intermediate School District and Michigan State University, the program combines classroom instruction with year-long workplace immersion designed to help young adults build employability skills and independence.
Throughout the year, students gained experience in departments including Biomedical Custodial, Chemistry Custodial, Spartan Child Development Center, 1855 Place Maintenance, MSU Library, College of Human Medicine, and Linen Services.
But the experience is about much more than learning job tasks.
It is about showing up, becoming part of a team, learning how workplaces function, navigating challenges, and gaining confidence through practice.
And none of it happens alone.
Across campus, supervisors and staff opened their doors, shared their expertise, and invested time in helping interns learn, grow, and succeed. Their willingness to mentor and support students helped transform everyday workplace experiences into meaningful opportunities for growth.
Spartan Project SEARCH was created to help young adults with disabilities gain the skills and experiences needed for successful employment after school, with a strong focus on workplace immersion and transferable job skills.
For many students, these internships represent more than a school program.
They are a first glimpse into future careers, greater independence, and what becomes possible when someone believes in your potential.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the supervisors and teams at Michigan State University who helped make this year’s internship experiences meaningful for every student involved.
Because sometimes, success starts with someone simply saying:
“Come learn with us.”
Recent Stories:
Heartwood School welcomed students and families back for an Open House filled with familiar faces, classroom visits, games and plenty of excitement for the year ahead.
Ingham ISD staff came together for Opening Day with a question: “What if?” As the district begins year two of its "Power of What If?" theme, the focus is shifting to student voice—and creating meaningful learning experiences by listening to the students at the center of the work.
