Local middle school starts student-run coffee cafe, provides real-world experience
FRUITLAND, Md. – Within the halls of Bennett Middle School, morning cups of Joe are being brewed by the hands of students known as the Busy Bean Coffee Cafe. “Once we received the grant money and we got started planning, we ended up finding a space for it and the students really ran with it,” Special Education Teacher Holly Bennett said.
Each barista at Busy Bean has some form of a disability.
Yet thanks to the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore’s Education Grants Program, these students are getting real-world job experience from interacting and serving customers to handling a cash drawer.
“At the middle school age, especially from the special education standpoint, they want us thinking about the future and thinking about job skills,” Bennett said.
“We’re at the point now where they’re running this on their own and they’re having so much fun doing it. It’s been awesome to see their growth,” Special Education Teacher Sarah Griffiths said.
Faculty and staff have now become loyal customers.
We were able to catch a few students between brews who told us their secret on how they keep orders up and stress down. “We have to work as a team,” Student Destiny Hosey said.
“With customers and working with Ms. Griffiths and Ms. Bennett, it was so cool,” Student Jahemma Dorival said.
Special Education Teacher Holly Bennett says this group is typically in an isolated setting with very little interaction with others, but the cafe changes that and proves their disability doesn’t define their ability.
“Within our school in general, people see our students walking buy or have them in classes but don’t really interact with them too much. They don’t know what they’re able to do,” Bennett said.
“Some students go out for specials with their general education peers but not all of them. This is great for them to get exposure to make new friends.”
Faculty to tell us this opportunity has truly allowed these students to take the skills they’re learning in the classroom and apply them in real life.
Busy Beans also offers a delivery option.
