The smell of fresh coffee wafts down the hall on the fourth-floor hallway at 9 a.m.. At first, some may think the smell was coming from the coffee shop, but it’s actually coming from the careers class’s coffee cart being pushed by their students.
Many teachers and staff members receive their favorite coffee order delivered directly to their classrooms every Tuesday and Thursday during second hour by the students in the careers class.
The class has two coffee carts that are stocked with coffee made by Columbia Brew, and they resemble accessorized grocery carts. They each have a piece of wood cut with circles to hold three coffee pots in the front of the cart, and containers to hold cups, straws, creamers, and lids in the central part of the cart that are used when coffee is delivered to many staff members.
The coffee cart not only delivers beverages, it also provides a sense of community within the school, according to Haydan VanMeter, a student in the careers class who runs the cart.
“You give [the teachers] their coffee, they have a big smile on their face, and it really makes your day,” VanMeter said.
According to special education teacher Tia Hurt, the cart is an opportunity for students with special needs to talk to teachers and practice social and business skills that will benefit them later in life.
“It gives [the students] a chance to display the skills that they have, and still be a part of a coffee shop,” Hurt said.
In addition to serving drinks to staff, the coffee cart creates meaningful connections between students who run the cart, work in the coffee shop, and the staff, according to Hurt.
“The girls who are in the coffee shop really make a relationship with these kiddos and really help them be included and feel supported and just have a genuine friendship with them,” Hurt said.
Leave a Reply