The School Based Coffee Shop was developed by Kelsey Portwine, the TAP Coordinator. TAP stands for Transition Alliance Program. TAP is a partnership between Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Clear Creek Amana School District. This is the second year CCA has TAP. TAP provides support around job exploration, work-based learning, post-secondary education, workplace readiness and self-advocacy. More information on TAP here.
The Coffee Shop was developed for a number of reasons but the main one is to provide students with a work-based learning experience here at school. By having this coffee shop it allows for students to learn something new in an environment that they feel comfortable in. This allows for students to acquire some employability skills at school. These skills can range from learning positive communication with peers, to understanding a list of directions to successfully make a drink. This also allows for students to figure out what they may like about a job, or dislike about a job so they know what to look for one day in the community. This also allows the students to be assessed on how students are doing and tells shows which students may need some more support around employment in the future.
Once logistics were figured out, flyers were created so students could fill out a job application for the position if they were interested. They prepared for the opening in November by meeting to brainstorm ideas, menu items and expectations. There are currently 10 students involved who meet on Tuesday afternoons, to prepare for the following day. Students come in Wednesday mornings to begin making drinks and delivering to staff. Mrs. Partridges students also help out with The Coffee Shop by going around on Mondays and Tuesdays to get drink orders from staff. This provides these students with some work-based learning as well. Mrs. Partridge's students then work together to prepare a “treat of the week” that is included with the purchase of coffee, so they go out grocery shopping that week to get the items needed for the treat. This is a great way for these students to practice and implement some life skills.
"What I am noticing that The Coffee Shop is also providing is a sense of inclusion amongst the participating students that they may not normally socialize with. This has been a great opportunity for students who may not be involved in athletics or other clubs, but still want to do an extracurricular activity or be involved in some way." Kelsey Portwine.
Photos of students preparing orders on Tuesday for a Wednesday delivery:
