The document discusses the Prospector Theater, a non-profit organization founded by Valerie Jensen to provide meaningful employment to adults with disabilities. The Prospector Theater operates as a first-run movie theater, cafe, restaurant and bar staffed by employees with disabilities called "Prospects". The goal is to help Prospects find fulfilling careers by providing job training, skills development, and opportunities to explore different roles. The Prospector Theater has been successful in employing over 100 Prospects and raising awareness of the abilities of adults with disabilities.

1. Social issues have become an increasingly important part of our lives, and in the age
of awareness, it seems as if every issue competes for attention. However, there seems to be
one cause that hasn’t gotten the full attention that it deserves, and that cause is disability
advocacy. The truth is that 80% of adults with disabilities are unemployed, an alarming
statistic that clearly has gone unrecognized and unaddressed for years. At the Prospector
Theater, we are dedicated to reimagining possibilities for adults with disabilities, a place
where everyone is treated as a capable and productive member of society.
We are a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, whose main goal is to provide
meaningful employment to adults with disabilities. We do this by operating a first-run
movie theater, complete with a café, restaurant, and bar. Our employees, known as
Prospects, are empowered to find their passions in their jobs.
The Prospector Theater is the brainchild of longtime disabilities advocate, Valerie
Jensen. Her passion stems from her sister Hope, who has Down Syndrome. Valerie was a
leader of a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating social activities for adults with
disabilities. Valerie had long been looking for job opportunities for many of her friends, and
although some had gotten temporary jobs, she realized that while enriching the lives of
adults with disabilities through social activities was important, providing them an
opportunity to earn money through meaningful employment would mean that much more.
Valerie’s Aha! moment came one day on a drive. While at a red light, she caught a glimpse of
a condemned building that had once been a theater 70 years ago. Her vision of the
Prospector, a movie theater where adults with disabilities could work, was born at that red
light.
Her idea of the Prospector Theater helped achieve two goals: 1.) provide the town of
Ridgefield with a state of the art first-run movie theater, offering an alternative to driving
out of town to see a movie, and 2.) provide a place for adults with disabilities to work.

2. Employees that work at the Prospector Theater are identified as “Prospects”,
regardless of position, and each Prospect is set on a path to find their own, as founder
Valerie Jensen refers to it, sparkle. The idea of sparkle refers to the hidden talent or passion
each Prospect has. A Prospect is often trained to work in more than one area of the Theater,
allowing us to search for sparkle through meaningful experiences. While we have
departments typical of a standard movie theater, like Box Office, Concessions and Ushers,
other prospects have moved on to different areas outside the standard theater model, like
Development and Video Production.
The idea behind the Prospector’s Job Training program is that a Prospect will use
the job skills they get here to go out and start a career doing what they love. The Prospector
can be described as “a technical college”, in the fact that it not only provides jobs, but also
allows for specialization in certain areas. Here are some examples: A Café Prospect not only
learns how to work in a coffee shop, but also relevant math and fine motor skills. An Usher
Prospect not only learns about crowd control, but also time management and workplace
supervision. A Box Office Prospect not only learns about selling tickets, but also phone
based customer service and salesmanship. Basically, the benefits of working at the
Prospector are multifold and have encouraged a major transformation in our Prospects,
encouraging them to become more independent and self-sufficient.
Almost all work done at the Prospector is done in-house by Prospects, allowing us to
contribute to the betterment of the Theater, instilling a sense of pride in what we do.
Whether it is developing a new gourmet popcorn flavor, designing a new t-shirt, or being a
part of the landscaping crew, the Prospector stresses a level of accountability that
encourages Prospects to see the fruits of our labor positively impact the customer’s
experience.

3. Founder Valerie Jensen’s efforts have not gone unrecognized; not only has the
Theater opened to overwhelmingly positive reception from the local community, it has been
recognized by several prominent organizations. For example, the Prospector’s mission has
twice been highlighted in NBC Nightly News; ESPN filmed a segment at the Theater during
their broadcast of the Special Olympics, and the New York Yankees recognized the
Prospector and its mission during their 2015 HOPE Week. In addition, many towns that
have been inspired by our work want to establish their own “Prospector” style business
using our model.
Disability advocacy is an important issue, especially in the fact that an
overwhelming majority of adults with disabilities are unemployed. The Prospector Theater
can only do so much in chipping away at the number of unemployed adults with disabilities
by employing 101 exceptional and hard-working Prospects. The fact that it raises
awareness that adults with disabilities can, and want, to work will aid in ending the stigmas
that are associated with adults with disabilities. Furthermore, we hope the Prospector’s
model of teaching adults with disabilities how to work can be transferred to and utilized by
any business, large or small, for profit or not for profit. We want more adults with
disabilities to experience the joys of meaningful employment, and we want more people to
realize that adults with disabilities deserve a livelihood as much as anyone.