Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities Metro DC

The Foundation's Bridges project develops and supports mutually beneficial job placements to meet the workforce needs of local employers and the vocational goals of young people. Each year, Bridges helps hundreds of young people who are leaving high school prepare for the workplace and find what is often their first job.

Since 1990, Bridges has worked with more than 11,500 young people, preparing them for vocational success and helping them find and maintain employment. Bridges has facilitated the placement of more than 8,900 youth with disabilities, most of them members of racial or ethnic minorities, in competitive placements with over 1,500 different employers. Expanded to seven metropolitan areas, Bridges currently serves an additional 1,100 young people annually. Employers express consistent satisfaction with Bridges; nearly 40% have made multiple hires through the program. The Foundation's work has been widely recognized and honored, including by Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao as one of a select group of "New Freedom Initiative Award" recipients.