43
Photo
Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Glenwood Junior High School students worked the new coffee bar at the school on Dec. 21, selling coffee, hot chocolate and treats to staff members.
Photo
Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Joyce Schmid made coffee drinks for staff members of Boardman Glenwood Junior High School on Dec. 21 at the newly opened Boardman Beanery.
Photo
Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Director of Student Services Mark Zura, Superintendent Timothy Saxton and Director of Instruction Jared Cardillo enjoyed coffee from the Boardman Beanery Dec. 21.
Photo
Neighbors | Jessica Harker.The Boardman Bearnery is the new coffee bar at Glenwood Junior High School where staff members can purchase coffee and hot chocolate every Friday run by students.
Photo
Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Staff members in Boardman purchased coffee drinks at the new coffee bar at Glenwood Junior High School on Dec. 21.
By JESSICA HARKER
Glenwood Junior High School opened a coffee bar run by students. The coffee bar will be open every Friday at the school.
Nancy Zitzew, a Boardman teacher, said that the coffee bar is a self-sufficient operation that benefits students in a multitude of ways.
“The students have a sense of purpose, they are always so excited to come,” Zitzew said.
In September, Zitzew said she was brought the idea by teacher Elissa Wooten.
Wooten and Zitzew then brought the idea to school officials, gaining support before presenting the idea to the board.
Mark Zura, Director of Student Services, said that it is an extension of the work study program at Boardman High School.
“The high school has a rich history of having work study programs for students with special needs so this was a natural funnel for starting that transition earlier,” Zura said.
He explained that Glenwood previously had a work study program, and that starting it back up was great for students.
“It’s really just a nice sense of community for our students who have special needs to take the opportunity to reach out to the staff,” Zura said.
Zitzew said that the students involved cycle through a schedule that allows them to do each job.
Students are responsible for taking orders, working the cash register, punching punch cards and passing out drinks.
“When they go out into the real world and get jobs they will all have those skills,” Zitzew said.
Students learn money management, communication skills and how to work cash registers, which Zura said they can use later in life.
“One of the things the kids ask us is would we be able to use this as a reference when we go out into the real world, and I said absolutely, it gives them a step ahead of other people because when you are 16 not a lot of kids go out into the work force and get those job skills,” Zitzew said.
Along with job skills, the money raised through the coffee bar directly benefits the students.
Teacher Joyce Schmid explained that not only does the money go to maintaining the coffee bar, but it goes to taking students on field trips.
“We used to go on a lot of trips but that money went away,” Schmid said. “So this is a great way to make sure parents don’t have to constantly pay for trips we want to take.”
Zitzew said that the group is looking to take trips to the Carnegie Science Museum and other educational experiences for students to enjoy.
“We want to do some really cool things that relate back to our content that we wouldn’t be able to do because its so expensive,” she said.
Student La’Naesha Stonebrook said that she loves working at the coffee bar every Friday.
“It’s great I love coming here, we get to talk to people and I meet someone new every week,” Stonebrook said.
She said that every Friday she hopes to be on the next week’s schedule, and doesn’t mind volunteering to come in early.
“We learn a lot of skills, get to talk to people, I learn a lot,” Stonebrook said.
Eight students work at the coffee bar, with five working on one Friday, giving some students a week off.
“I think it’s really important for Boardman,” Zura said. “We are really blessed to have great families, great students here.”