Suburban Chicago students with special needs run store, prepare for future careers
PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. (CBS) – A unique new store recently opened in the south suburbs, and it's run entirely by students with special needs.
CBS 2's Shardaa Gray reported on how the store is preparing the students for a possible career in sales and marketing.
You'll leave with a smile when visiting High 5 Heights in Palos Heights.
It's a new student-run business that's an extension of the Adult Transition Program in Oak Lawn. Special needs students have the opportunity to train and work at the store, preparing them for their future.
Donte Edwards, 18, is one of those students.
"It's a lovely store," Edwards said. "I love working here. I love the customers and my classmates."
Edwards works behind the register while his classmate, Sean Casey, 18, greets customers.
"I like to give them high fives, because our products guarantee a high five and then once they leave, I give them a high five as they leave," said Casey.
Students create products that are sold within the store or at local craft fairs and pop-up shops. The program serves young adults ages 18 to 21 with special needs from Eisenhower, Richards and Shepard high schools.
"It's my first time working here at High 5 Heights, and I love it here," Casey said.
The store sells good, including custom clothing, seasonal décor, and more. They're all created students and graduates.
"It's really an opportunity for us to display their creativity and all their special skills," said Kerri Piscitelli, the special services director at Community High School District 218. "And it's an extension of that classroom, the real world extension, which not only benefits our students but also the community."
The store opened less than two weeks ago, and it has stayed busy. The school district said merchandise that students made tend to fly off the shelves.
Edwards said they make "little wine jars. We make the t-shirts and yeah, maybe everything, really."
The store gives students training and experience in marketing and retail sales, from stocking to working behind the cash register.
"It makes me happy," Edwards said. "Seeing people come in and buy stuff and sell out."
The school district said the store is federally funded and all proceeds go directly back into the program.