It all starts with a cup of coffee- it’s the human exchange that magically occurs. The warm greeting, the aroma of coffee brewing, the smile, the order taken, and the fulfillment of creating satisfaction and happiness. All of this occurs daily at coffee shops around the globe. In many ways, coffee servers are pouring happiness into each cup that is filled, starting peoples days with a smile and the much-needed caffeine.
Coppell High School would like to offer an opportunity for the Traditional Pathways and Adult SpEd learners to open and operate the very first “Fill Our Cups @Coppell Coffee Shop”. Great success can be achieved through setting up a system where our SpEd learners would team with other classes and organizations (Money Matters, Red Jackets, Art, STEM,etc) to learn about establishing, running, and operating a daily coffee shop. Through collaborative peer learning and creating community partnerships, these students would learn about making daily deposits, customer management, advertising, ordering supplies, creating and sustaining a business model.
This grant would allow Coppell High School SpEd learners an opportunity to get hands-on customer service skills. The human interaction of handing a cup of needed coffee to a grateful CISD employee would increase learner self-confidence, create connections, and empower our learners. It would give our SpEd learners an opportunity to practice real-world connections, actively engage with customers, and other important job skills. This project ties to all four of the CISD Core Values: Redefining Success, Collective Engagement, Great Teaching, and Authentic Relationships. Our learners would apply for and attain a “food handlers card”, and learn the “ins-and-outs” of running a business. The SpEd learners would take charge (with facilitator support) of creating a space where coffee is served and the lessons learned are sweeter than the two packets of sugar on the side.