ENGAGING YOUNG ADULTS WITH COGNITIVE DISABILITIES IN USGS SCIENCE: A PARTNERSHIP TO PROMOTE INCLUSION

In 2012, the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) embarked upon a unique partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS, VA) to provide workforce training for young adults with cognitive disabilities. The students are high school graduates, ages 18-22, enrolled in the FCPS Secondary Transition to Employment (STEP) program. The USGS is one of many employers, only two federal partners, providing job training to these students every year. Each fall we welcome 5-10 STEP students to our Reston VA offices to work on a wide variety of projects from ecology to energy to historical records.

Among STEP program students, the USGS generally engages students on the autism spectrum. These students’ special ability is to complete repetitive tasks with accuracy, precision, and close attention to detail, an invaluable skill for a science agency. The students and a STEP teacher come to the USGS for five hours a day, October through May. They are each assigned a USGS mentor to oversee their work in a shared office space. They work on a volunteer status, making this a win-win for both students and scientists.

Since the program began, STEP students have contributed to our science mission in over a dozen areas. Recent STEP student Kevin Kim used mapping software to digitize over 21,000 oil well pads, helping USGS evaluate the ecological impacts of energy development in the Williston Basin. His work was considered so integral to the project that he is listed as co-author on the resulting publication. In another project, nine STEP students digitized over 100,000 paper records of banded birds, making these records available to scientists studying biodiversity and migration. Four STEP graduates have been as hired full-time employees by the USGS.

The USGS/STEP collaboration, while small, has had a huge impact on the students involved and the USGS science mission. For the students, it enhances their job and social skills, increasing their future financial independence. For the USGS, in addition to the work achieved, it creates a more dynamic and inclusive workforce, while providing opportunities for mentorship, and strengthening community ties. In FY18, we are working to replicate the program at our Menlo Park CA, campus, and to help FCPS connect with other federal agencies, providing more opportunity for these unique students to contribute to the federal workforce.