Fredericksburg City Schools could join a regional Project SEARCH work-immersion program at the new Kalahari resort in Spotsylvania beginning in the 2027-28 school year, school board members heard Monday.
Chief Academic Officer Dr. Brendon Albon said the board will receive a memorandum of understanding in the next month or two for a partnership between Kalahari Resorts and Project SEARCH. The presentation was an information item only. The board took no vote.
Carly Detlefsen, a program specialist from Project SEARCH headquarters in Cincinnati, described the model. Students would spend one full school year entirely at the host business rather than reporting to their high school. They would complete three 10-week internship rotations in different departments, combined with classroom instruction in employability skills. After the school year, participants would receive a nine-month individualized job search aimed at competitive integrated employment in their home community.
Competitive integrated employment means at least 16 hours a week, at the prevailing wage for the position, in a non-seasonal job, and in a setting that includes people with and without disabilities. Detlefsen said the program seeks to reverse national employment rates of 16 percent or less for people with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The new Kalahari resort has requested a site and is already a strong supporter of the program. Kalahari currently hosts Project SEARCH sites in the Poconos, Round Rock, Texas, and Wisconsin Dells. The proposed location would be regional, involving Spotsylvania and Caroline counties, with Fredericksburg invited to participate. Typical cohorts run eight to 12 students, with planners hoping for three to four from each division.
Transportation would be planned in advance through public transit, parent transport, or rideshare, with travel training included. Detlefsen noted that internship skills are transferable and not limited to hospitality careers.
Virginia currently operates about 18 Project SEARCH programs. The first site opened in 1998 at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital; the organization now runs nearly 800 active sites across 48 states and nine countries.
Superintendent Dr. Marceline Catlett’s administration brought the item forward as part of the instructional update. No student counts, costs, or final commitments beyond the 2027-28 school year were stated. The memorandum of understanding is the next formal step.
The $900 million Kalahari Resorts & Conventions project is rising on 135 acres off Interstate 95 near Dominion Raceway in the Thornburg area of Spotsylvania County, roughly 13 miles south of Fredericksburg. The African-inspired resort is scheduled to open Nov. 12, 2026. It will feature Virginia’s largest indoor waterpark at 175,000 square feet with more than 50 slides and attractions, 10 acres of seasonal outdoor pools, a 90,000-square-foot Tom Foolerys Adventure Park, approximately 907 guest rooms and suites, extensive convention and meeting space, multiple restaurants, and retail shops—all under one roof. Waterpark admission is included for registered guests.
