CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY

Since 2021, Mystic Seaport Museum has partnered with The Light House, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization with a mission to educate and prepare individuals with disabilities for life. Offering a continuum of services from education to independent living, The Light House is dedicated to fostering social, emotional, and cognitive development for lifelong independence. Through this partnership, the Museum hosts young adult job seekers, along with an employment specialist, in important jobs across the Museum.

The Light House Works program is an employment training program for young adults with diverse abilities, providing social and vocational experiences for job seekers who currently do not reach the benchmarks for competitive employment. By identifying the interests and vocational readiness of job seekers, Light House Works empowers individuals to create their own pathways to employment and independent living.

Joe is a job seeker in the Light House Works program who has been working at Mystic Seaport Museum since the beginning of our partnership. The Museum has provided Joe with many opportunities to practice general work skills as well as learn new skills. Joe is dedicated, hard-working, kind-hearted, and loves any work that allows him to use tools of any kind, and he is thankful for purposeful work such as this. Joe reflects on his time at the Museum: "I started at the sailing center; it's my all-time favorite place. I worked with the tools and repaired boat rudders. Working with Liz (Sistare) is fun, and she took us on a boat ride because of our hard work." In addition to working in the sailing center, Joe worked outdoors to help maintain the gardens and plants around the Museum grounds, in the toy boat center prepping activities for guests and their children, and is currently working on new skills in Home Port, the Museum’s family activity center primarily serving children ages 8–12 with a variety of crafts and amusements.

Joe’s journey with the Museum has allowed him to interact directly with guests and their families. His employment specialists have seen a huge growth in his confidence and pride in his work. He has practiced time management, from a punctual arrival to finishing job tasks in their entirety before packing away his supplies and cleaning up for the day. He has learned to be mindful of how he must prepare ahead for work, for instance, checking the weather forecast to determine if he needs to dress for rain, snow, or sun, or if he needs to bring sunscreen. Each morning Joe arrives prepared with the supplies he needs and dressed for the ever-changing New England weather. The life skills and confidence Joe is gaining by interacting with the public will benefit him immensely when he begins competitive employment, and Mystic Seaport Museum is proud to be part of such an impactful experience for Joe and the other job seekers who have participated in our partnership with The Light House.