Project SEARCH Northwestern Medicine at Kishwaukee Hospital

06/26/2026

Please join us in saying congratulations to recent Project SEARCH graduate Garrett! Garrett completed his first internship in the EVS department at Kish Hospital and had such a great experience that he made it a goal to one day be part of the team. When asked why he wanted to work in EVS, Garrett said, "Cleaning is my passion."

We are SO proud of Garrett for achieving his goal of becoming part of the Northwestern Medicine EVS team. Great job, Garrett!

We also want to take a second to thank EVS leads and managers Loretta, Anthony, Ashley, and Genelle for helping Garrett get his dream job. We appreciate you!

05/14/2026

05/14/2026

Congratulations Project SEARCH class of 2025-2026!!! You did it!

04/03/2026

Please join us in saying congratulations to Evan, our first Project SEARCH intern to gain employment this year! 🥳 Evan worked in Northwestern Medicine's Environmental Services department as an intern before being hired on as a full-time EVS Tech last month. Evan's work ethic is one of his greatest strengths and we are proud of him for earning a position on the EVS team. Keep up the great work Evan!

If you would like more information about Project SEARCH in DeKalb, contact Lisa at 815-766-7798 or [email protected].

03/16/2026

We had a successful Assessment Day last week. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped! We are looking forward to the next year of students.

02/27/2026

Yesterday was our annual Employment Prep Day here at Project SEARCH in DeKalb! This is a day devoted to pre-employment activities like mock interviews, resume reviews, and phone call practice. Feedback from today is an important tool for growth as our interns are already submitting applications and searching for employment.

If you know of anyone hiring, please comment below or if you are interested in interviewing one of our soon to be grads, please contact Lisa at 815-766-7798 or [email protected].

Huge shout out to all the community volunteers who helped out yesterday. We appreciate all of you!

01/23/2026

On Tuesday, our Project SEARCH students and onsite team assembled over 900 hygiene kits for local shelters and foodbanks! We are thankful to Northwestern Medicine for this volunteer opportunity. It was a great way to help out our community while practicing communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and organization skills.

For questions about Project SEARH in DeKalb, reach out to Lisa at 815-766-7798 or [email protected].

01/23/2026

We had two successful Project SEARCH Information Nights. Thank you to the Flight Deck for appetizers and Northwestern Medicine for the cake.
Because of the audio issues with our Facebook lives we will be recording a information night for people to view online.

01/13/2026

Interested in learning more about Project SEARCH in DeKalb? Great news, we are having an Info Night tomorrow, January 14th at 6pm! Join us in person at the Health & Wellness Center, 626 Bethany Road, or virtually here on Facebook where we will be streaming the event live.

This session is for students, families, teachers, employers, and community members. You will learn what Project SEARCH is and how to apply. Requirements for applicants include:

* Currently enrolled in high school in DeKalb or Ogle County
* Have a disability and current IEP
* Between 18 and 22 years old
* Willing to get a flu shot per Northwestern Medicine
* DESIRE TO WORK
* Agree that this is your last year of school services

If you have questions, reach out to Autumn, Project SEARCH Manager, at 779-774-1028 or [email protected].

11/07/2025

Project SEARCH graduate update! Calvyn started working for Whitson's Culinary Group as a Food Service Worker in Rochelle schools this past August. While in Project SEARCH, he completed an internship in food service at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital, so he was more than prepared for his role serving food to students.

Huge shout out to Stacy from Whitson's who heard Calvyn was looking for work and met with him to find a good fit on her team. We are so proud of Calvyn and thankful to Stacy for giving him the chance to show off the skills he learned in Project SEARCH!! Keep up the good work Calvyn!

For more information about Project SEARCH in DeKalb, contact Lisa at 815-766-7798 or [email protected].