In an e-mail from the White House today, it was announced that U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan will deliver the commencement address at a graduation ceremony here in Washington, D.C. The ceremony is being held for 25 D.C. high school students who have participated in Project Search, a program that aims to connect students with disabilities with real world skills through local employment in federal agencies, including the Departments of Education, Labor and Health and Human Services.
The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 15, in the Department’s Barnard Auditorium (address below). Other officials from federal agencies plan to speak at the ceremony, and the chancellor of D.C. Public Schools, Kaya Henderson, will present each student with a certificate.
Students in the Project Search program have completed an internship during their senior years and divided their time between classroom study and office-related functions, developing job skills and learning workplace etiquette. According to the White House announcement, a number of the students will transition to full-time employment in the federal government and local businesses.
“This continues to demonstrate our commitment to employment for people with disabilities and in this specific case, persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” a source within the White House said.
Barnard Auditorium
400 Maryland Ave, SW
Washington, D.C.
10 a.m. Wednesday, June 15