Three times a week, students from Notre Dame School report to their job site at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.   They assemble 100 blood draw kits every visit, and they do not leave until their job is complete.

“Methodist Hospital has been a job-site partner with Notre Dame School for over 15 years.  Our responsibilities have grown a little every year.  Word gets around the hospital of the good work we do, and more opportunities arise,” says Vicki Mulder, Notre Dame teacher and job skills coach.

When the students arrive at the hospital, they check-in at Volunteer Services.  They wear their official badges proudly and walk to the lab to pick up their supplies.  After picking up the supplies, they go to a conference room and sort their materials for assembly.  The students even get a snack break, and the hospital offers them a complimentary snack or drink. 

“It is amazing to see the students’ progress from the beginning of the year and now 6 months later.  Our job partners provide the students a sense of responsibility and as a result, gives them a lot of pride in their accomplishments.  This is such an important part of what we do at Notre Dame School,” stated Mulder. 

Notre Dame School has a vocational program that begins at age 18. The school partners with over 25 businesses in the Dallas metroplex, ranging from restaurants to law firms to health care providers, such as Methodist Dallas Medical Center.  Notre Dame School also has a formalized post-graduation job placement program to assist students in their transition into the workforce or an appropriate day placement program.

For more information about our vocational program or to apply to be a business partner, please contact Carmen Fernandez, Assistant Principal, at cfernandez@notredameschool.org.

Notre Dame School educates students with intellectual disabilities and facilitates their integration into society.  As the only school in Dallas exclusively serving this student population, Notre Dame is a unique educational resource in our city and provides special education to 150 students ages 8 to 21.  Notre Dame School is a Catholic school and is sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. It is located in Uptown, just north of downtown Dallas.