Students from the Life Skills Alternative Cooperative Education (LSACE) program will be operating their breakfast cart business at the Innovation Center on Wednesday’s from 9-10am.
Staff and students are welcome to bring cash to help support this student-run business. They offer pre-packaged snacks and a variety of hot and cold beverages, such as coffee, tea, hot cocoa and bottled drinks. Additionally, there will be a baked good and savory breakfast item available. The offerings vary from week to week and may include muffins, breakfast burritos, and breakfast sandwiches.
Cashier, barista, food server and customer experience representative are just a few of the positions available. Special Education Teacher Marie Naumann tries to create an experience that is as close to a “real world” job as possible. Students are required to clock in and out, conduct open/close procedures, and complete job responsibility checklists. Naumann hopes the skills students are acquiring through this business will help them long after they graduate from the program. “A lot of the skills they are learning are transferable and something they could speak about in a job interview or put on their resume,” Naumann said.
Students are fully invested in their business and they’re involved in everything from the planning and creation of the weekly menu, to taking orders and operating the food cart. Much of the week they are taking inventory, shopping for the food items, preparing the food items, and prepping for opening day. “There’s a lot of prep work involved in operating a business and students have learned teamwork and the importance of working together. They take initiative to do that on their own now and they’re recognizing they’re a part of a team,” Naumann said.
Naumann understands the importance of providing an inclusive environment. “Inclusion means all of the students having an opportunity to meaningfully participate and really feel like they have had the opportunity to have a say. Students feel really proud of Wake Up Main Street because they’re seeing their ideas come to life and they’re seeing customers appreciate their work. The best part of it for me is to actually see them working. It’s eye opening to see how much potential they have.”