Shawna Wilson, Callon Siebenhaler, Heather Baumgartner and Charise Aeikens

The team’s innovative teaching idea, “Student Coffee Shop,” will support the school’s transition to The Academies of Shakopee that is focused on providing students with authentic learning experiences that will prepare them for post-secondary success while also providing local businesses with better qualified workers. The Voya grant will allow students in the school’s Arts & Communication and Business & Entrepreneurship academies to be entrepreneurs, challenging teams to open and run a coffee shop. The students will address all aspects of running the shop. Arts & Communications students will create the branding, marketing, and communication plans for the “business” and will also make baked goods in the school’s industrial kitchen. With the help of local business mentors, Business & Entrepreneurship students will create a solid business plan that will be used as the foundation for the endeavor.