Kandi Gilbreath, a special services educator at Daviess County High School, was the recipient of the Great Expectations grant awarded by the Foundation for DCPS earlier this year.
Gilbreath is using the $1,000 award to create an in-house coffee business at the high school. Panther Perk will be operated by her students as they serve coffee, tea, cappuccino and bottled water to faculty and staff members at DCHS. On special occasions throughout the year, the students will also make and sell baked goods and treats.
Gilbreath said her goal is to teach life skills and job skills to students with moderate and severe disabilities. “Some of my students may never be able to work unsupervised in a public setting, so this might very well be the only job they will ever have,” Gilbreath said, adding that all the students involved with the Panther Perk project will benefit. “They will gain experience in social skills such as greeting customers and practicing courtesies such as saying ‘thank you’ as well as following step by step directions and maintaining quality control of the product.”
Panther Perk products are $1 each so the students will also have the opportunity to practice money skills in adding up orders and making change.
The project is currently underway with a “soft opening,” inviting selected staff members each day to practice using Google Form or QR codes to place orders. The business will go live with a grand opening celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 1. Orders are accepted until 8:45 a.m. with deliveries made by 9 a.m. each day.
Each year, the Foundation for DCPS awards $1,000 Focus Awards grants in each of four categories: Health, literacy, technology and Great Expectations, which recognizes innovation and service in areas that exemplify the district ideal of “Great Expectations” for all students. Gilbreath used the grant to purchase monogrammed aprons and name tags for her students, a coffee maker and supplies, and to create custom-printed sleeves for the coffee cups.“The whole business will appear ‘real’ to my students and to anyone placing an order,” Gilbreath said. “I can’t tell you how excited we are.”
