Staff at Oglethorpe County High School can get freshly brewed coffee delivered to them every morning by students in the life skills class, who run a coffee shop called Patriot Perk.
The students also provide sweet treats on Fridays, but the impact of the program is beyond the food and drink.
“It’s been really cool to see all those different interactions and relationships develop, and just see their self confidence develop,” said Rebecca O’Tuel, special education teacher. “All these other skills we’re working on, responsibility, all their vocational skills, and to see those really blossom.”
Patriot Perk began in 2016 to teach students vocational and life skills, while increasing school and community involvement. The student employees learn to handle money, proper food and beverage preparation, budgeting and how to read and fill orders.
The jobs for the students rotate between delivering coffee, assembling the delivery cart, distributing cream and sugar, cleaning and restocking supplies.
OCHS staff can purchase a monthly subscription for $20 or order coffee daily ($2 for a single cup). The shop averages between 10-20 subscribers.
“We were just trying to figure out some way that we could kind of make people at the school happy, or even increase morale at school,” O’Tuel said. “And then also provide an opportunity for our kids to get out and interact more with people at the school.”
The money funds life skills class outings that occur several times a month in the form of lunch events and field trips. The class went to Bitty & Beau’s Coffee in Athens in the fall of 2022, which students Xavian Smith and Khalic Hardy said was one of their favorite memories of working at the coffee shop.
Kayla Bass, a student employee, said her favorite part about the coffee shop is delivering coffee, and her favorite memory is when they used the money to go bowling.
The coffee is brewed every morning by Will Walden, a paraprofessional at OCHS. Walden, who is legally blind, said he helps the students as much as they help him.
“It creates a good social environment,” Walden said. “To me, it’s just sweet. It’s OK that you do things differently, but you can do things. Whatever you can do, do it.”
Toni Walser-Child, a chemistry and environmental science teacher, has been a customer of Patriot Perk for about five years. Her favorite part is seeing the students’ faces and getting to know them.
“A lot of times, with the population that we teach, they’re in the same classroom a lot, all day long, and they don’t necessarily get to see a lot of the other teachers in the school,” O’Tuel said. “So it’s been a really good opportunity for them to meet other teachers and get to know them, get to know other students.”
The Patriot Perk students also work at the school store, which is open every day during lunch. It sells snacks and drinks to the students and staff, and is another opportunity for the students to practice their vocational and social skills.
O’Tuel’s favorite part about Patriot Perk is “just getting to kind of show off all of the things our kids are learning to do and just celebrate their successes with everyone else, and giving them the opportunity to get to know as many people as possible.”