A class project has turned into a fully-functioning business for Ocean View High School students as they transform into campus baristas with the help of the Ocean Brew Coffee Cart.
The Daily Pilot reported that Ocean View teacher Courtney Gillett created the Ocean Brew Coffee Cart project as part of the “Independence, Diversity, Educating All Students program” to give students with special needs an opportunity to build on their vocational and social skills.
Every Wednesday and Friday, two students from Gillett’s second-period class make and deliver custom-made coffee orders across campus while their classmates clean equipment and make trips to the store for extra supplies. In return for their work, the students collect $1 for each cup of coffee that goes directly toward supplies for the coffee cart program.
Not only have the students expressed their excitement for delivering orders each week, but Ocean View teachers seem to enjoy it just as much. Educators can submit a form for their coffee orders ahead of time — some have even paid and placed their orders for the whole school year.
“This rotating group of kids are all awesome humans,” Ocean View Business Academy instructor John Volo said in a district statement. “I appreciate the relationships I’ve been fortunate to cultivate with the IDEAS kids and find their coffee visits even more energizing than the caffeine they’re delivering.”
Here are the other stories we’ve been keeping up with this week:
- The 19th annual Orange County Children’s Book Festival is returning this weekend with a variety of authors, activities and educational opportunities for K-12 students.
- In honor of Attendance Awareness Month, two educators with OCDE’s Alternative Education division shared their approach to building authentic and welcoming connections with students to prevent chronic absenteeism.
- This week, the California Department of Public Health warned school officials about the dangers of “rainbow fentanyl” — a potentially fatal drug that comes in a variety of forms and bright colors.
- La Quinta High School choir director Darlene Machacon was recognized as one of 30 music educators to be honored at the Music Teachers of Excellence awards presented by the Country Music Association Foundation.
- The Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees recently approved its “Safe Routes to School” policy with increased use of e-bikes among students.
- Starting in 2024, California schools will be required to serve exclusively American-grown food if costs don’t exceed more than 25 percent of those for imported foods.
- The Environmental Protection Agency is set to double the money for states to purchase electric school buses as a response to higher demand.
- The Westminster School District celebrated its 150th anniversary on Thursday, Sept. 29, as educators and community members looked back on the history of its schools with guest speakers and student performances.
- Transitional kindergarten aftercare programs are now available to children younger than 4 years, 9 months due to a new bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday.
- The California Interscholastic Federation – Southern Section is expected to vote this week on making girls’ flag football an official high school sport.
This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.