Daily Archives: November 20, 2017

Milwaukee Public Schools officials celebrate new culinary lab at Washington High School

Stand Up for Public Ed,

MPS culinary arts

Fox6Now.com: Some Milwaukee Public Schools students are serving up some tasty dishes in a brand new culinary arts lab.

MPS celebrated the completion of the new lab at Washington High School Thursday, November 16th.

The lab is equipped with commercial-grade equipment so students can learn on the same type of equipment that chefs use.

The principal said getting the new equipment into the building presented some challenges.

“This beautiful, fully-functioning commercial kitchen was brought up four flights of stairs that many of you just walked up, so you can imagine how hard it was for 25 men who struggled to bring up many of the pieces you see in the kitchen,” Angelena Terry, Washington High School principal said.

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Wausau barista business giving special needs students independence and job skills

Stand Up for Public Ed,

Wausau

WSAW.com: In the halls of Wausau East High School a group of students is gaining independence and job skills while running a business.

“They’re starting to believe in themselves. They’re starting to think ‘Oh, I can do this,” explained teacher Anissa Walter.

She’s the organizer for Jack’s Joe. The mobile coffee business, run by students with special needs, is a play on the name of the school mascot– the Lumberjacks.

Students, like Elizabeth and Sarah are learning how to be a team, manage inventory and handle money. Skills that will prepare them for the real world.

The business was created through a grant from Reach for the Stars. Since last spring, the rolling coffee shop is a favorite of staff and students.

The coffee is donated by Tom Belongia, owner at Biggby Coffee.

He said he was happy to be apart of the project.

“The teachers had seen a video online of a similar program and they were actually at Biggby Coffee and brainstorming and they asked, ‘Is this something you could actually help us out with?’ I though it was such a beautiful wonderful idea and it fit,” Belongia recalled.

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