On Oct. 27, Davison Avenue Intermediate School opened its doors to family, friends, and select community members to come and enjoy Café Cooksey. The student-run coffee shop is a project led by Special Education teacher Angela Cooksey.
Brewing up confidence, connection, and real-world learning — this program provides hands-on opportunities for students to develop essential life and social skills.
“I came up with this idea to have this student-run coffee shop to work on a number of skills,” Cooksey said. “The students absolutely love it.
From greeting customers and preparing beverages to handling money and managing time, the students gain meaningful job readiness experience in a supportive and authentic environment.
Every Monday the café is open for Malverne staff to order a range of different iced coffees and sweet treats from the four students in Cooksey’s class. During the showcase “parents were able to come in and see the skills the kids were working on and purchase coffee as well,” Cooksey said.
“This has helped the students meet new staff members throughout the building,” she added. “Its special because when we’re transitioning in the hallways or going to a new destination, everyone recognizes the kids, which has been a really positive experience for them.”
This is the first year Davison is trying the café program. The café is self-sustaining, as the funds teachers pay for their drinks support the purchasing of supplies.
“The students really enjoy making the coffee, following the directions, and they feel a lot of pride in being able to see the staff members enjoy the coffee,” Cooksey said. “It’s also really cool to see the progress and the growth we’re making as a result of this student-run coffee shop.
“In the beginning the students needed a lot of support,” she added. “But now they’re really mastering the skill of making coffee. And in the classroom we’re working on things like the value of money and making change, which we’re seeing come to fruition in the coffee shop.”
As Café Cooksey continues throughout the school year, the students will learn skills such as taking inventory, making change, tracking profits, making purchases, and more. Through this project, the students have been able to build independence, confidence, and teamwork skills.
“Our purpose really is to help students develop not just academic skills, but important life skills that will help them in the future,” Cooksey said. “I’m incredibly proud of my students and everything they have learned so far.”
