Employees at the St. Lucie County Administration building just might be a little perkier on Tuesdays with the return of the Student Perks coffee cart.
For the second school year, the student-run coffee cart will pop up at the administration building in Fort Pierce for a couple hours once a week – so be quick to get the coffee and pastries before they’re gone or wait until next week.
“It was fun,” returning student Megan McClain told St. Lucie Voice. “I got to learn about the job. It was rough, but I had fun, too.”
For McClain, the challenge is serving the people – lots of people – and making sure everything is as good as it can be.
Returning with her is Anthony Bacon. The best part of the coffee cart for him? “Meeting new people and socializing,” he said.
Bacon, 16, will serve this year as the Student Perks manager. McClain, also 16, will be the assistant manager.
They will oversee seven new students who were invited to the Student Perks program.
McClain said she and Bacon have already created a game plan for managing the students. “We’ll be a team and work together,” she said.
The cart returned Nov. 28 with all the fanfare of a grand opening. “The grand re-opening was wonderful,” said coordinator Martha Taylor. “We had lots of community leaders and school board leaders present to support the students.”
This year, Student Perks will have students from both Port St. Lucie High – where McClain and Bacon attend – and Westwood High. Last year, only Port St. Lucie High participated.
“They have to earn it,” said Taylor. Students must maintain good grades and exhibit good behavior to be considered. They must also be nominated by a teacher and go through an interview process.
“Student Perks offers our students opportunities to work with customers to flex their abilities in the areas of nutrition, money, marketing, social skills, safety, work ethics, and working with the public,” Taylor said in a statement released by the county regarding the program.
The students laughed when asked if they get to cut class to work the coffee cart.
“We get a permission slip,” McClain said diplomatically.
“We kinda are,” Bacon confessed.
Taylor told St. Lucie Voice that Student Perks is part of the School District’s career exploration program, which allows select students to leave campus so long as they keep up with their classwork.
And no, the students don’t get paid while working at the cart – not even tips.
“We wished we got paid,” McClain said.
Instead, every penny collected at the cart goes back into the Student Perks program, helping to offset the cost of inventory and other expenses. Prices range from 50 cents to $1 – barely enough to cover expenses, according to Taylor.
“St. Lucie County (administration) values the program as it gives these students first-hand experience in running a business, while at the same time, giving both the public and employees easy access to coffee and snacks,” said county spokesman Erick Gill in a press release sent out about the coffee cart.
Taylor said other agencies and organizations have reached out to her to bring the Student Perks coffee cart to their location. So far, though, the School District has not been able to expand the program to other sites.
“We hope to continue the program,” Taylor said, and expand it in the future. However, the district will need more funding and staff assigned to it in order for that to happen.
Anyone interested in helping to underwrite Student Perks’ expenses can donate to the School District directly by sending a check with a notation for Student Perks to the District, the School Board or to Port St. Lucie High School.
For more information on how to support the program, call Martha Taylor at 772-370-0891.
