Ferndale Coffee Shop Paves Pathway to Career Readiness for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

A Ferndale coffee shop is helping young adults with intellectual disabilities gain the career-ready skills they need to succeed in their professional futures. 

The Rising Stars Academy Foundation has opened its newest Gather + Grounds coffee shop at 22965 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale, inside the Treat Dreams ice cream shop.

“It's really just a place to come together and for everyone to be accepted,” said Andrew Campbell, executive pastry chef with Rising Stars Academy Foundation, in an interview with WXYZ-TV Detroit. Rising Stars Academy is a post-secondary school that serves young adults with intellectual disabilities.

The Gather + Grounds initiative was launched in 2023 to give individuals real-world training opportunities that can build career-ready skills, such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. 

“That's one thing I look forward to every day is going and teaching them and just how eager and willing they are to learn and just be thought of as normal, which they are,” Campbell said.

“We will gather the community together to support the most underserved population that lives among us,” said Mark Prentiss in a media release shared with The Detroit News announcing the opening. Prentiss is Rising Stars Academy's co-founder, chef, and educator.

In addition to its Ferndale location, which is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Gather + Grounds operates in Center Line and Richmond.