Rising Stars Academy participants take part in hands-on culinary education and workforce training.
Our Story with Rising Stars Academy
Rising Stars Academy is a Center Line-based post-secondary school serving young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its hands-on approach combines education, job training and real-world experience to help students develop skills they can use in the workplace and throughout everyday life.
Students learn through work-based programs that include culinary arts, food production, agriculture and other vocational experiences. The goal is not only to prepare students for employment, but also to help them build confidence, independence and stronger connections within their community.
The Weingartz family and Weingartz Family Foundation are proud supporters of Rising Stars Academy and its work creating meaningful opportunities for young adults with disabilities.
How Weingartz Supports Rising Stars Academy
Weingartz Family Foundation Support
The Weingartz Family Foundation has supported Rising Stars Academy and its mission of creating greater opportunities for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Rising Stars Academy continues to recognize Dan Weingartz and the foundation among its community supporters.
Supporting Work-Based Learning
Donations to the RSA Foundation help fund supplies, staffing, transportation and work-based training programs. Weingartz's support helps strengthen an organization where students learn through practical, hands-on experiences designed around real workplace skills.
Preparing Students for Employment
Rising Stars Academy gives students opportunities to practice skills they can carry into future employment, from culinary and food production work to customer service and other vocational experiences. Supporting the academy helps expand those pathways toward meaningful work.
Encouraging Confidence & Independence
Job skills are only part of the experience at Rising Stars Academy. Its programs also help students strengthen communication, independence, confidence and the ability to participate more fully within their communities.
A Meaningful Community Partnership
Rising Stars Academy remains one of the organizations Weingartz proudly supports. Members of the Weingartz family have also participated in activities at the academy, extending the relationship beyond financial support and into the school community.
Rising Stars Academy participants gain hands-on experience with gardening and beekeeping activities.
Rising Stars Academy students practice food preparation skills as part of the school’s culinary training program.
Gather & Grounds in Ferndale provides Rising Stars Academy participants with opportunities to build hospitality and workplace skills.
The Gather & Grounds team works together while gaining hands-on experience in food service and hospitality.
Rising Stars Academy participants develop practical culinary and job-readiness skills through hands-on training.
Our Partner
Founded in 2012 in Center Line, Michigan, Rising Stars Academy is a post-secondary school for young adults ages 18 to 26 with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The academy combines classroom education with hands-on, work-based learning designed to help students develop the skills needed to gain and maintain employment. Opportunities include culinary arts, a six-acre urban farm, food processing, baking, aquaponics, robotics and other vocational experiences.
Through Rising Stars Academy and programs supported by the RSA Foundation, young adults are given opportunities to learn, work, build confidence and develop greater independence within their communities.
Rising Stars Academy is a Michigan-based educational program dedicated to helping young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities develop essential life and employment skills. Through hands-on learning, vocational training, and personalized support, the academy prepares students for greater independence and meaningful opportunities in their communities.
Rising Stars Academy serves young adults ages 18 to 26 with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its programs focus on helping students build confidence, strengthen social and workplace skills, and gain practical experience that supports their personal and professional development.
The Weingartz family and Weingartz Family Foundation support Rising Stars Academy through charitable contributions and community involvement. Their support helps strengthen vocational training programs, educational opportunities, and hands-on learning experiences that prepare young adults with disabilities for meaningful employment and greater independence.
Rising Stars Academy combines classroom education with practical workplace experiences to help students develop job-ready skills. Through culinary training, food service, agriculture, and programs such as Gather & Grounds, students practice communication, customer service, teamwork, and other essential skills that support future employment opportunities.
You can support Rising Stars Academy through financial donations, volunteer opportunities, and community involvement. Contributions help fund educational supplies, transportation, staffing, and vocational training programs that create meaningful opportunities for young adults with disabilities. Visit Rising Stars Academy to learn more about donating or volunteering.