During the school day, KHS teachers skip the Starbucks and choose instead to stop by E181 for their coffee. Upon entry, teachers are greeted by students operating a desk piled high with styrofoam cups and packets of coffee grinds. For a minimum donation of $1, students in Max Pott’s pre-CBVI (community-based vocational instruction) class pour them a steaming cup of coffee.

“Many of the students in my room are here for about four hours every day,” Pott, KHS teacher, said. “The coffee shop allows for the staff to come in and interact with the students socially.”

Not only does the coffee shop serve as a place for students and staff to get to know each other, it also raises money to pay for cooking supplies the students utilize throughout the year.

“Part of our curriculum involves cooking, and to cook things you need food,” Pott said. “The allocated money in our budget isn’t enough to pay for as much cooking as we want to do as educators, and the money pays for food supplies.”

In Pott’s class, students learn pre-employment skills they can apply in their future careers, and the coffee shop offers students hands-on experience.

“It’s nice to interrupt a little bit of math or writing time to work on job skills training,” Pott said.

Although students are currently unable to purchase coffee in E181, Pott is considering allowing students to stop by for a cup during homeroom in the future. For now, however, the coffee shop is a place where Pott’s students can interact with different teachers from across campus.

“The Kirkwood staff is segregated by department, so it’s nice to see different teachers from other departments stop by,” Pott said. “It’s just a benefit.”