Northeast Arc: A Job With a Purpose

Why settle for a job when you can also have a purpose?

Employment at Northeast Arc is more than just a job — so much more. We are a mission-driven agency committed to changing lives and discovering abilities. Whether it’s the individuals we serve or our employees who support them, we know that each person has a unique set of skills and contributions to make. Northeast Arc prioritizes inclusion and diversity. We value the individual perspectives, cultures and approaches that our employees bring to make us one of the most innovative organizations in human services. Northeast Arc was founded in 1954 by families who unapologetically disrupted the system, believing their children and all children with disabilities deserve every opportunity without limitation. Today — more than six decades later — Northeast Arc continues to believe in working toward endless possibilities.

Become part of our culture of innovation

At Northeast Arc, we’re inventors, determined to find ways to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

How do we invent?

We seek out and back new ideas. With support from our Changing Lives Fund and other foundations and individuals, we run an annual innovation competition called the Arc Tank. Each fall, entrants compete for generous grants to support their ideas for improving the lives of people with disabilities. To date, we have received 296 entries from people in 30 states and four countries. These competitors propose real solutions to real problems. Our winners have included a program to offer specialized training to first responders to increase their ability to interact effectively with individuals with autism; a second program that uses virtual-reality communication tools to improve the quality of life for individuals along the autism spectrum; and a ridesharing app that provides both on-demand and scheduled transportation for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

We make innovative investments in community infrastructure. In 2016, we opened our first Breaking Grounds Café on Boston’s North Shore, offering paid job training to people with disabilities who want to work in the hospitality industry. The next year, we raised $600,000 to create a 238-seat Black Box Theater in downtown Peabody, providing educational and recreational opportunities for as many as 7,800 young people annually. In 2019, working with the Greater Beverly YMCA, we launched the second Breaking Grounds Café. Next year, in partnership with the Lynn YMCA, we will open a third café.

All of this adds up to a culture where we relentlessly pursue opportunities that will enable individuals with disabilities to become full participants in their communities.