Facts

Project Move Facts

?THE GREATEST GOOD you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.?
Benjamin Disraeli, novelist

Project MOVE matches community members with youth with disabilities who want to move on to college and/or the workplace.

Youth Need Transitional Support
After graduating from high school, youth with disabilities lose the support systems provided by the school, often proceeding with little direction. Nationally, 3 out of every 4 people with disabilities aren?t employed, and only 27% successfully transition to college.

The Solution: Mentoring
Project MOVE is a supportive program customized to reverse these trends. Through one-to-one mentoring, Spokane youth, ages 16-21, explore their options and take steps toward achieving their personal goals.

Project MOVE creates mentoring relationships that foster increased enrollment in college, greater participation in the workforce, and enhanced community integration for youth with disabilities.

Community Connections
In addition to creating matches, Project MOVE links participants to community resources, such as employment agencies, workshops, and classes that are geared to help youth achieve their employment and education goals.

The mentor and youth pursue these options together, leading to increased skills, knowledge and self-sufficiency for the youth.

History & Partners
Project MOVE is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration and is a collaborative effort with four primary partners:
Washington Initiative for Support Employment coordinates mentor matches;The University of Washington, Center for Disability Policy and Research, conducts the evaluation activities;
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Northwest provides training and technical assistance; and Community-Minded Enterprises facilitates the collaboration and dissemination of community resource information.

Project Move is made possible by grant number H235S040082 from the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not represent the official views of the funding agency, nor does publication in any way constitute an endorsement by the funding agency. New Freedom Initiative, Executive Summary, President George W. Bush, 2001. National Survey of Educational Support Provision, 2000; National Focus Groups of Youth with Disabilities, 2000.