KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox County Public Schools are closed until at least April due to COVID-19, but when class is in session, special education students at Holston Middle School double as baristas on Fridays.
Special Education teacher Meg Bohman and her colleagues got the idea for the coffee cart program from another school. They are calling it 'Cane Brew,' and it's raising money for the school's Special Olympics team.
They were excited to implement the idea at their own school.
On Thursdays, teachers fill out their order forms, and when the students show up for class on Friday, they brew the coffee and make their deliveries in person.
"Not only is it beneficial to their development and their goals, but it’s also just a fun new way to address those goals and those needs," Bohman said.
"My favorite thing would probably be watching my students interact and watching their independence grow. I know how happy this makes them to have these opportunities. Just to see the looks on their faces when they have that opportunity to be independent and do adult things like sell pastries and coffee to other adults is an exciting thing for them, and being able to do that provides them that independence and gives them the confidence to do other things they might not have known they could do," Bohman said.
This is the first year for the 'Cane Brew' program, named after the school's hurricane mascot. Bohman hopes the tradition continues next year.
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