EC’s new cafe making difference in student lives

New coffee shop operated by special needs students

(ST. LEON, Ind.) – East Central students are lining up every morning to get a drink or snack from the new Trojan Cafe.

It’s a real world coffee shop inside the high school, with a purpose that goes beyond the menu. 

The Trojan Cafe is operated by special education students who oversee all aspects of running the small business. 

They’re responsible for ordering supplies, taking orders, making the drinks, cleaning and laundry. The cafe also offers a delivery option where teachers can order drinks from their classroom. 

Sophomore Gene Cassidy is one of the employees and said it has been a rewarding experience so far.  

“I’ve definitely learned a whole lot more than expected, I’ve learned more about the people I am around and the personalities of those people,” he said. 

Special Education Teacher April Huber helped create the Trojan Cafe and says the goal is to teach life skills while providing valuable work experience. 

Within the first month of operations, she has noticed how the cafe is impacting student relationships on a daily basis. 

“One of my favorite things to see are other students speaking to them outside of the cafe, because they are used to seeing them here and it has formed connections that weren’t there otherwise,” Huber said. 

She has also noticed that the cafe has led to higher confidence levels among the special education students who work there. 

Ava Stutz is one of those students and she knows exactly where she wants to be in the cafe. 

“I really enjoy working the cash register and taking orders. That is by far my favorite part,” she said. 

Ava also makes sure to take every order with a smile on her face. 

Customers like AJ Rumpke show up every morning and pick from a menu that includes hot coffee, frozen brews, cold brews, green tea, lemonade and snacks. 

On Thursday, Rumpke went with her favorite menu option which is the frozen blend Cookies N’ Cream mocha.

She has been very impressed by her classmates who are operating the cafe. 

“It’s definitely really nice because they get to learn actual real-life skills, and they're doing it here at school by themselves. I think it is a really good experience for them and it’s been terrific so far,” she said. 

While most of the kids may not work in a cafe when they grow up, Huber knows this experience can increase their employment opportunities by learning skills such as customer service, math skills, communication, and reliability.

The proceeds from the Trojan Cafe help fund field trips and community outings for the special education students.