To improve on interacting with others, STARR students greet faculty and students at the coffee bar by handing out coffee and snacks in the cafeteria during all lunches.
The coffee bar is an opportunity for STARR students to advance their social skills by dealing with customer service. According to STARR transition teacher Renee Wagner, it started with her wanting her students to be able to wait on individuals. This allows the students to gain more social interaction and apply their skills.
“Some of the kids are more willing to talk to their peers or say hello, so that is very nice,” Wagner said.
Wagner is already seeing an improvement among the students as it has been a “good experience” for them.
The coffee bar has one job coach and one to four STARR students.
A job coach supervises the students and is there to provide support. On the other hand, the STARR students give out coffee and food.
According to job coach Laurelee Luchansky, her favorite part is the “social aspect” and watching the kids interact with their peers around them.
Luchansky believes this opportunity is significant and beneficial because the students need to learn communication abilities.
As Luchansky witnesses the interaction among students, she has seen a great improvement. “Students that one time would not say anything now will greet them and say hello,” Luchansky said.
The goal for the students is to have a hands-on learning experience in the real world. “We really want the verbal interaction going on,” Wagner said.
The job coaches feel this experience is an excellent way for the students to practice their social skills. They enjoy watching the students grow and become more confident.
“This is one of the reasons we do it, to get them more interacting with their peers, not avoid them,” Luchansky said.
The STARR students working the coffee bar greet the customers and also provide them with coffee and different assortments of food.
“We greet them and help them,” senior Cody Herman said “We help them on what they would like.”
According to Herman, his favorite part of the coffee bar is talking to other students. Herman likes “giving the snacks” to students by welcoming them.
Everyone who works at the coffee bar appreciates it when students and faculty come up to the coffee bar and order something.
“We encourage anybody to just say hi. It is good social skills practice for us,” Wagner said.
The job coaches enjoy watching the students interact with kids because they can see a boost in their social skills.
At the coffee bar, there are many different food items you can purchase, but the central concept is the coffee.
“We give out coffee, Pop-Tarts, muffins, pretzels and churros,” Herman said.
The coffee bar plans to also start selling popcorn soon.