How Dining Services Partners with the Faison Center

Both Lou's and Passport Café at University of Richmond have partnered with the Faison Center to give adults with autism opportunities to learn and work in our community.

The Faison Center's mission is to give children and adults with autism and related challenges the best opportunity to improve their life’s journey through evidence-based practice. Its Employment Academy specifically works with transition-aged students with the goal to best prepare them for employment after high school. To meet that goal, the Academy teaches a range of skills that are applicable across a variety of career settings. The Academy places students at rotating internships throughout the school year to train them in skills that will help them be successful there and in future placements.

The Faison Center's partnership with Lou’s and Passport Café allows the Academy to give students who have shown interest and success with previous internships in the food industry the opportunity to put those skills to test in a fully functional setting. These internships provides a unique opportunity for the students to practice life skills like navigating transportation systems to get to and from work and interacting with diverse populations, as well an opportunity to earn a ServeSafe certificate and to be mentored by outstanding staff at award-winning facilities in the University of Richmond's Dining Services.