If the staff at Port St. Lucie City Hall seems to have a bit more pep in their collective step and are perkier than normal, it might be a Thursday. That’s when students from St. Lucie West Centennial High set up their Student Perks cafe, offering up fresh coffee, fruit, bagels and assorted pastries.
“The students who work at the coffee cart for the school year return to their campuses as leaders,” said Martha Taylor, job coach for St. Lucie County Public Schools Exceptional Student Education.
“Their confidence soars, it’s amazing to see such a positive impact working at the coffee cart makes to the students.” Ten students work at the recently opened Port St. Lucie City Hall Student Perks – seven from St. Lucie West Centennial and three from Port St. Lucie High. Those three work the original Student Perks location Tuesdays at the County Commission building and are training the seven at City Hall.
“It’s amazing and heartwarming to see the experienced students teach the new student employees,” Taylor said.
PSL Strategic Plan Coordinator Kate Parmelee credits Councilwoman Stephanie Morgan with bringing Student Perks to City Hall. She said Morgan advocated strongly for the program’s expansion.
“It was a team effort,” Parmelee said of expanding the program to a second location.
Parmelee said having Student Perks at City Hall fits well within the city’s strategic plan of providing good-quality education opportunities to all students.
“It fits into the goal perfectly,” she said.
For her part, Parmelee said she’s partial to the coffee served up at the cart, but the customer service is what keeps her coming back. “They’re so wonderful,” she said of the students. “Their spirit is infectious.”
Taylor explained that when the decision was made to expand to PSL City Hall, she put the word out to St. Lucie West Centennial’s teachers, letting them know what the coffee cart would need.
The teachers then nominated a select group of students who might do well learning off-campus. Those students were given the opportunity to apply for the positions and, if they met the criteria, they sat down for interviews with the city’s Human Resources Department.
Though the interviews were a mere technicality, the process gave the students a real-life experience. Once hired, the students were given city ID cards.
“They’re part of the city family,” Parmelee said.
Taylor explained that the coffee cart is so much more than just that – it’s an educational “treasure trove.”
“Student Perks is community-based instruction,” she said. “It gives the students an opportunity to learn real, authentic work in a public setting. The students learn all the necessary steps to get hired. They get their very first interviews with managers outside of school. Students need to learn how to dress appropriately for interviews, proper casual conversation, eye contact and how to show their willingness to take direction outside of school. Some students need a lot of support, and learn very slowly; other students learn fast and assist the students who need extra help.”
But even that doesn’t cover all the perks Student Perks has to offer. The students who run the coffee cart are part of the Exceptional Education program – they are students with disabilities.
“Students learn the basics of running a business and working with the public,” Taylor said, while “customers learn how to interact appropriately with students with disabilities. It’s a win-win!”
The PSL City Hall Student Perks operates 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Thursdays in Building A. Can’t wait for Thursday? The original Student Perks continues to operate on Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the County Commission Administration Building, 2300 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce.