Charger Coffee House Serves Lattes and Smiles

Wednesday afternoons have become much-anticipated for Maywood staffers since the Charger Coffee House started a few weeks ago. Our Life Skills students are donning their aprons and hats, firing up their espresso machines, and delivering professionally made lattes and other hot drinks throughout the building. Teachers have their punch cards ready for our young baristas, and our students are learning new vocational, occupational, and social skills while serving a nice midweek pick-me-up.

The Charger Coffee House is funded by an Issaquah Schools Foundation grant, one of many such coffee shops organized by District Occupational Therapist Amanda Thrash. The goal is to provide special education students with an integrated, enriching vocational experience. Students learn how to create hand-crafted espresso beverages with support from their teacher Frank Lee, Speech-Language Pathologist Hanako Yokoyama, and Thrash.

Asked about the program, Yokoyama says, “I love seeing the students gain agency and feel more integrated into the Maywood community through the Charger Coffee House. They are gaining confidence in their functional communication skills, as well as valuable skills that every student needs for the future, such as real-time problem-solving, appropriate customer interaction, time management, and meeting shift expectations. Mr. Lee's class is filled with bright, creative, and kind students who are enthusiastic about engaging with their community in this way.”

“The weekly Coffee House deliveries have also prompted conversations and partnerships between our students and staff,” adds Principal Crystal Weik. “We're extremely proud of the service our students are delivering along with the dedication our staff shows in providing this experience.”