The fabric of the Academy is built on equity and inclusion. With the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities at least double that of the rest of the country, a huge population of talented people are left out of the experience of finding work and engaging careers. For many of us, employment helps us gain confidence, transferable skills, and a better sense of ourselves. At the Academy, we believe that everyone must have the opportunity, regardless of ability, to experience this. And some of the best places to discover a personal career path are in museums—dynamic, trusted institutions that provide opportunities to explore jobs in nearly every industry.
In the first year of this project, we plan to build and design a Museums4Inclusion toolkit which will allow us to take our workforce development model and replicate it in other local museums.
Long term, we plan to scale this program to multiple cities across the country, effectively raising the level of awareness and breaking down barriers to employment for individuals with developmental disabilities.
The California Academy of Sciences is committed to providing opportunities for all people to enter through our doors and experience the wonder of nature and the interconnectedness of all life through exciting scientific discoveries. Through our Academy for All initiative and workplace immersion internship program we provide opportunities for young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to access science learning and workplace training that results in job placement. Our vision is to scale our workplace immersion internship program by replicating it in museums nationwide.
One in five Americans has a disability, comprising the largest minority group in the United States. Any one of us could join this population at any time. Breaking down barriers to STEAM-related fields and science education for youth with disabilities will not only help to remove some of the stigma that often surrounds this group, but also tap into the potential of future scientists and science advocates who may help solve pressing challenges facing our communities.
Since 2013, the California Academy of Sciences has graduated 39 interns from our workplace immersion internship program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The program partners include AccessSFUSD and The Arc San Francisco. AccessSFUSD is a part of the San Francisco Unified School District and is a transition program serving youth ages 18–22. The Arc San Francisco is a unique learning, continuing education, and supportive employment center that helps individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities access learning and find employment success. As the internship site, the Academy leverages the expertise of both organizations to create a full museum career pathway for youth into adulthood. Most importantly, our internship provides career choices for a group that has historically been marginalized in the workforce.
In order to ensure job placement upon graduation, in 2016 the Academy hosted our first Museums4Inclusion job fair—now a core element to the program—to help graduates connect with professional work. Some interns apply for and are accepted to open positions at the Academy. The job fair has created an opportunity for the Academy to share our program model with local museums and introduce a trained, talented, and enthusiastic workforce to sister museums. For example, a former workplace immersion participant named Dana interned at the Academy and through mentorship discovered he enjoyed working in Security. During his exit interview after graduation, he asked, “What do I need to do to work in Security?” Dana’s mentor and the Arc helped develop a plan for him to work over the summer on completing his guard card.
After many hours and dedication, Dana completed this important certification. When it came time to apply for a job, Dana had his pick—and SFMOMA hired him before the Academy even had a chance.
To date, The Arc has a 94% placement rate into employment post-internships and we have grown the number of individuals employed at the Academy through this program. All of this work supports our ultimate goal of independence and inclusion not only at the Academy, but integration into the local workforce as a whole. The Academy has received several local honors for our workplace immersion program, including a commendation from the San Francisco Board of Education, and we are eager to keep growing nationally.
