After my recent podcast with Brian McFall of Washburn Rural High School where he discussed the successes (both financial and from a student learning perspective) of their student-run coffee shop, I got to thinking,

“How many of these coffee shops are out there?”

Here’s the answer after a brief Google search:

• East High School of Waterloo, Iowa (Washington Times):  “Sleepy-eyed students at East High School can now get a morning jolt at the school’s new coffee shop. East Daily Grind, which opened a little over a month ago, offers coffee, tea, hot chocolate and several flavors of cappuccino to students and staff looking for a warm pick-me-up.”

• Fowlerville High School of Fowlerville, Michigan (Livingston Daily): “Most students are just rolling out of bed at 6:15 a.m., but Fowlerville High School seniors Drew Vielbig and Zella Patrick were up grinding coffee beans for the benefit of their peers. Sept. 29 marked the opening of Brewed Awakening, the high school’s new student-run coffee shop. It was also National Coffee Day, coincidentally. Profits will go toward expenses incurred by students invited to attend the DECA International Career Development Conference in April in Orlando.”

• Rincon/University High School campus in Tucson, Arizona (Arizona Daily Star):  “Their library on the Rincon/University High School campus has not had a budget to buy books for the last nine years. As a result, Makus, a Rincon senior, has been disappointed working her way through a series of books only to find volume three of a four-part set missing. Knowing that an infusion of library funding is unlikely, Rincon/UHS library club members have taken matters into their own hands, opening a coffee bar on campus with the proceeds to be used to purchase new books. The decision to sell coffee — regular and decaf — along with teas, juice, hot chocolate and water was a no-brainer, said school librarian Kim Grimes.”

• Charlottesville High School in Charlottesville, Virginia (NBC29.com): “The Black Knight Coffee Shop at Charlottesville High School started with a grant from the Charlottesville School Board for a teacher who wanted to boost the morale of students and staff.  For the teachers, it is coffee delivered right to their classroom. “Each day my students set up the cart with fresh coffee, muffins and scones, put on the uniforms, and they walk through the school to teacher’s rooms and serve fresh coffee and muffins to the teachers,” said Ellen Vigour, a Charlottesville High School special education teacher. For the students who run the store, it is an opportunity to learn some important life skills. The program provides students with moderate to severe disabilities a chance to plan, shop, bake, and sell.”

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About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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