Lockport Township High School District 205 had its coffee shop, L-Town Grounds, ribbon cutting ceremony at East Campus

courtesy – Lockport Township High School

On January 20, 2022, the Lockport Township High School District 205 had a ribbon cutting ceremony for its coffee shop, L-Town Grounds, at East Campus with Lockport Mayor Steven Streit and other local dignitaries, staff, and students.

LTHS had a soft opening for staff in late November 2021. Currently, services are available to all staff members and seniors from the start of the school day until 1:30 p.m. Staff members and students place their orders online via the school website and can schedule a pickup time. “L-Town Grounds is first and foremost a vocational training site for students who need direct instruction in vocational/employment skills. The goal is to prepare students to obtain community- based employment in the future and L-Town Grounds offers that real-life practical employment experience for its teachers and paraprofessionals to teach and practice those skills. The added benefit of providing a service (from great-tasting coffees and teas) to our student body and staff is the pleasure,” said Dr. Angela Huntington, Director of Special Education.

The coffee shop is operating with about 18 students who can work in the coffee shop over the course of the day. Most students are placed in the store for one classroom period and other students can work for two classroom periods. Each of the students is in different stages of work competency. Staff members are in the coffee shop to teach and support the students.

“We reached out to our Marketing and Entrepreneur classes. Ms. Dana Ziemba created a project for her classes to develop names and marketing campaigns. Her classes then moved forward with six different names and logos. We then asked the student body to vote and choose L-Town Grounds based on student feedback,” said Dr. Huntington. L-Town Grounds hopes to open to juniors by Valentine’s Day and to sophomores by Spring Break.

Lockport Township High School press release, photos courtesy LTHS