OU BOCES School-to-Work Program Students Gain Valuable Skills and Work Experience through New Coffee Cart Service

Guests at select meetings and conferences at Orange-Ulster BOCES will have the pleasure of experiencing the new “‘A Latte’ Learning for Life” coffee cart service. OU BOCES School-to-Work Program students bring the cart to various meeting locations on campus during the school day to gain valuable work experience and employability skills through their interactions with meeting attendees.

Students who operate the cart introduce themselves to each meeting group and invite attendees to have a cup of coffee. Care is taken by the students to offer guests options of sweeteners, flavored creamers and almond milk. Instead of exchanging money, guests are given a card from the student which needs to be presented and punched each time they receive coffee service. Ten punches on a card earns the guest a free, reusable coffee cup. In turn, each cup of coffee served provides an opportunity for the student to develop social skills, problem-solve, multi-task, and provide customer service.

The OU BOCES School-to-Work Program provides a wide variety of on- and off-campus, unpaid work experiences that help build strong foundations for productive employment for students 15-21 years of age who are preparing to exit the school setting.