Schools
Students learn skills from coffee delivery service
The Lakewood Ranch High program helps students with interpersonal, work tasks
JuliaRose Lopez- Mustangs Ahead
(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL)- Exceptional student education (ESE) Mustangs provide Lakewood Ranch High School (LRHS) faculty and staff with a coffee refill and clean service Monday through Friday.
Inspired by a similar program at Manatee High School, LRHS ESE teacher Melissa Koehlinger started a coffee delivery service allowing ESE students to improve their interpersonal interactions and daily life tasks.
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In 2024-2025 there are 20 different teachers who chose to participate.
Koehlinger offered all faculty and staff the opportunity to opt in the coffee service at the beginning of the year.
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Faculty and staff were informed that ESE students provide the service for free. Participants had to provide have dishwasher safe cups to be able to receive coffee, and people who choose to participate must replace the product as a form of payment.
ESE Mustangs follow index cards with faculty and staff members’ names and room numbers, delivering the coffee in second period and pick up the empty coffee cups during fifth period.
Koehlinger says among her students’ favorite teachers to give coffee are social studies teacher Ben Hall and language arts teacher Michael Wood.
This service has not only benefited teachers, but also ESE students and will continue for many more years.
