请自己吃早餐, 午餐, 或者在一起的咖啡馆吃点零食，并与gcssssd职业中心和RCSJ ACT的学生见面，他们让每一次访问都成为你一天中的亮点. 从左至右:马修·马达拉, 迈克尔·吉文斯, 迈克尔Boughman, 阿勒西娅•克拉克, 琳赛诺, Jarrett亨森, 德文郡里格斯, 布兰登·汤普森, 克里斯蒂娜Hernandez-Tapia, 迈克尔Caporale, 和约翰Sztenderowicz.

GOING FURTHER TOGETHER AT THE TOGETHER CAFÉ
 
一起的咖啡馆, 位于南泽西州罗文学院(RCSJ)威尼斯人注册校区的罗文-维塔骨科医学院的大厅内, provides a delicious example of how leaders in education, 医疗保健, 地方政府可以共同努力，支持残疾青年融入社会和经济.

The café is the product of a unique collaboration between RCSJ, the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine (SOM), the Rowan-Virtua Integrated Special Needs Center of Rowan University (RISN), 威尼斯人注册郡, 以及威尼斯人注册县特殊服务学区(GCSSSD)的神经多样性学校. 其目标是为身体残疾和发育残疾的个人创造就业培训和就业机会，并促进他们融入社区生活的各个方面.

The vision for the Together Café had been brewing for years in the mind of Dr. 詹妮弗·米. LeComte, DO, FAAP, FACP, RISN中心主任，内科副教授 & Rowan-Virtua SOM的儿科. LeComte热衷于她所谓的“统一项目”，为各种能力水平的人提供工作机会, 学习, 一起玩耍. 通过她在RISN中心的角色-位于Rowan-Virtua SOM大楼的初级保健实践，致力于为患有身体疾病的个人提供服务, 知识, 还有发育障碍，她想为她的学生提供这些机会, 病人, and fellow 医疗保健 professionals via the café.

“It's certainly beneficial for the café's workers. They 学习 skills for gainful employment, 他们增加了自信, 我希望他们能在这里的医学界有有益的经历,孔特解释说. “但我几乎可以说，通过接触不同能力的人，并将他们视为我们社区的成功公民，我们的社区和医学生受益更多, rather than focusing on their specific syndrome or health inequities."

“A lot of 医学专业的学生 and residents, 甚至是医生, only see people with differing abilities at their sickest moments,她接着说. “许多从事医疗保健的人没有看到他们茁壮成长，这可能会助长残疾歧视和其他偏见. I think the Together Café helps to overcome that ableism."

 该咖啡馆由gcssssd的职业中心与RCSJ的成人过渡中心(ACT)项目合作运营. 它于2023年3月试营业. 两个校区的学生, some of whom are also RISN Center 病人, 在GCSSSD和ACT员工的监督和协助下，参与了所有日常的caf运作.

“It seemed too good to be true for this beautiful, state-of-the-art space to become a working classroom, 同时也为医生提供服务, 医学专业的学生, 患者及其护理人员,辛迪·福恩斯说, Clinical Coordinator for GCSSSD and Clinical Consultant to the ACT program. “We stayed true to our vision, despite some hurdles . . . 不到一年之后，我们来到了这里. And I couldn't be more proud or more grateful for the resources, 支持, and hard work that has gone into this collaborative partnership."

职业中心和ACT是两个有着共同目标的项目——为有残疾的年轻人提供职业教育, 教育, and social skills necessary to live fulfilling and independent lives. 许多从gcssssd就业中心项目毕业的学生通过ACT成为RCSJ的学生, where they continue to build their career and academic skills.

“ACT学生参加职业准备课程，通过RCSJ及其合作伙伴，他们可以探索所有不同的实习经历, 包括“一起咖啡馆”,雷蒙·卡萨诺瓦概述道, ACT执行董事. “当学生们准备好了, 我们帮助他们申请他们想要的实习，并提供面试准备和反馈. 一旦他们收到offer并完成了一些有针对性的工作培训，他们的实习就开始了."

ACT支持专员, Halee Amburg, who attends café shifts with the programs' students twice a week, describes her role as “not that much different than a supervisor in a Wawa.目前，她和该项目的13名学生一起在咖啡馆轮班两小时, 提供监督, 援助, 和鼓励.

 “I'm basically just there to 支持 our ACT students," explained Amburg. “For inventory and stuff like that, 支持 usually just means giving reminders. 我们有时都需要提醒. l might help out a little more when they make 沙拉 or prep breakfast sandwiches, and I'm also always available to help anyone who is on the register."

That 支持 is appreciated by ACT students including 琳赛诺, 她把她的ACT老师列为她在一起咖啡馆工作时最喜欢的事情之一:“我喜欢组织. I like putting the chicken salad or tuna in containers, and the grapes and fruits. 我喜欢花时间与我的老师."

ACT同学, 约翰Sztenderowicz, 她还喜欢在“一起咖啡馆”工作:“我会检查饮料，以确保它是满的. 我做了很多沙拉. 诸如此类. I'm trying to 学习 on the register more and more. 我最喜欢的部分是收银台."

咖啡厅从早上8点开始营业.m.- 5 p.m. 我的.,结婚.和星期五.; and from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. 周二. 和碰头. It serves a variety of affordably priced, grab-and-go snacks and beverages along with breakfast sandwiches, 沙拉, 汤, 披萨, and a rotating menu of options from the fryer.

“I have been part of the ACT program for two years and I really enjoy it. I especially like working at the Together Café," said 迈克尔Caporale. 他很乐意为那些不确定要点什么的人推荐菜单:“可能是薯条. 他们真的很好. 绝对是必备品."

The expertise of the GCSSSD – who successfully run several other cafés, 包括班克布里奇发展中心的拼图和班克布里奇地区学校的鹰巢，已被证明是宝贵的财富. Along with the hard work of 职业生涯 Center and ACT staff members and students, that expertise has led the Together Café to a model that works. They celebrated that achievement on Nov. 15, with an official grand opening party.

“这个项目进行了大量的合作和实验，最终形成了一个真正为我们的学生服务的模式,博士想道。. Guy Davidson, Dean of Academic Advancement & RCSJ特别服务部主席和学院新成立的神经多样性学院主席. “结果非常棒, 我非常关心的两个项目的学生都在这里学习工作技能，并且玩得很开心. All while meeting the needs of SOM and RCSJ students, faculty and staff who now have an easy and affordable spot to grab a bite to eat."

“一起咖啡馆”已经扩展到为校园内的活动提供餐饮服务, 包括RCSJ的神经多样性学院奠基仪式和Rowan-Virtua SOM的“艺术即医学”活动, featuring the work of award-winning photographer, 里克Guidotti的, 积极的接触 项目，现在挂在咖啡馆里.

“This café will become the food service provider for this College," confirmed Dr. 弗雷德里克·基廷，RCSJ主席. “I'm very proud of the young people working here. Thanks to their hard work and the work of our partners, we're going to continue to make this thing bigger and better."

“一起的咖啡馆”非常成功，RCSJ已经在寻找机会，在未来几个月在校园内开设更多的分店. 这样做的目的是为这些地方配备前咖啡馆实习生，他们准备好作为员工继续他们的专业成长.

“我为自己着想, and all of the partners involved in the Together Café, we're hoping that this becomes a model across the state and even beyond that,莱孔特分享道. “因为它不仅给不同能力的人提供了获得高薪工作的机会, 但在一个教育场所，这给学习者和社区成员一个打破障碍的机会." 

To 学习 more about the Together Café visit RCSJ.edu/Cafe or find out more about RCSJ's ACT program at RCSJ.edu/ACT. ​​