Brewing Confidence: Students Build Real-World Skills Through a Virtual Coffee Shop 

Special education students at West Virginia Virtual Academy are gaining real-world workplace experience through a virtual, student-run coffee shop designed entirely from the ground up. 

The project blends technology, communication, and vocational skill-building to help special education students develop independence and confidence. From designing a logo and menu to managing orders and creating promotional materials, these students are taking ownership of every step.  

Behind it all is special education teacher Sarah Alkire, who launched the project with one goal in mind – preparing her students for life after high school. 

Building Skills That Matter 

Alkire teaches 11th and 12th grade students with a range of disabilities, including some who are severely cognitively impacted.  

The coffee shop idea began as a way to focus on the transition section of her students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). 

“As a teacher, part of my job is to help them advance after high school,” Alkire said, “So, getting them into a day program or helping them find a job, and some students need extra support navigating those next steps.” 

This part of the IEP has been especially important to Alkire.  

“I think it’s because I have my own kid,” she said. “I know he’s going to be okay. He doesn’t have a disability, but these kids do, and where are they going to go? What are they going to do?” 

What started as lessons in manners and counting money quickly evolved into something much bigger. Alkire also taught her students how to greet customers, take orders, handle money, and work as a team – all essential skills for future employment. 

“It’s very important to me that they know that they’re valuable,” Alkire said. “That they can make a goal and do something after high school.”  

Running a Business Virtually 

Alkire treats the coffee shop like a true business. Students brainstormed business names, voted on their favorite, and designed the logo. They even used technology tools to enhance their creativity and digital literacy.  

“The kids create everything from the ground up,” Alkire said. “We’re in the process of starting a new semester and creating all the components of the project.” 

From there, they determine if the virtual shop will be on Zoom or Teams, and assign roles like barista, cashier, and manager. Students also create menus, flyers, and scheduling systems for customers across WVVA.  

Last semester, her students named their coffee shop ‘Brewed Bear Coffee’ and came up with a logo using WVVA’s school mascot, a bear. Every interaction in the project reinforces communication, organization, and problem-solving skills. 

Confidence Brewing 

The most powerful outcome of the coffee shop project is the growth in student confidence. 

Alkire shared that during a presentation about the coffee shop, one normally shy student asked to speak. 

“The student said, ‘This was really hard at first, but Mrs. Alkire made learning the tools easy.’” Alkire said. “I could have cried right there.” 

The students also created a commercial for the coffee shop, reading a script they wrote and sending in videos that Alkire pieced together into a final advertisement.  

“My favorite part is the interaction from the kids,” she said. “A few of the students in the commercial don’t speak, and the fact that they were speaking brought out their personalities and confidence.” 

She’s watched students discover strengths they didn’t even know they had. 

“One student’s confidence just skyrocketed,” Alkire said. “She realized she was capable of doing things.” 

For Alkire, moments like this define the program’s success. 

Taking It One Step Further 

This semester, the program is relaunching with an exciting new addition: delivering real cups of coffee to selected participants, making the experience even more authentic. 

Alkire said the goal is to select participants from the virtual coffee shop and have a real cup of coffee delivered to them from a local shop. It’s one more way WVVA is showing that virtual education can still provide hands-on, meaningful, real-world experiences. 

Through creativity, technology, and a lot of heart, these WVVA students aren’t just running a virtual coffee shop, but building confidence, independence, and practical skills that will carry them far beyond the classroom. Most importantly, they’re learning something powerful about themselves: they can do it. 

To Learn More About WVVA’s Special Education Programs Visit wvva.k12.com/academics/special-programs/ 

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