A new Wednesday tradition is taking shape at Manchester Township High School as the Hawks Perch Café expands its reach and gives Transition students another opportunity to put valuable workplace skills into action.
Beginning this week, Hawks Perch Café launched Walk Up Wednesday, bringing the student-run café directly to the high school community from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at the snack stand near the gym.
Students and staff can stop by during prep, lunch, or another convenient time to purchase a drink, snack, or Hawks Perch treat. Behind the counter, Transition students will take on the responsibilities that come with operating a café, including customer service, money handling, stocking, organization, and preparing orders.
The new Walk Up Wednesday initiative builds on the café’s existing Friday mobile service, in which customers place orders in advance, and Hawks Perch students prepare and deliver them throughout the school.
For the students involved, Hawks Perch Café is about much more than serving food and drinks. The initiative provides meaningful opportunities to practice skills they can use in employment and community settings, while working alongside their peers and serving members of the MTHS community.
“We are excited to see our Hawks Perch students take on this new opportunity,” said Jamie Placido, M.Ed., Transition Teacher at Manchester Township High School. “The café gives our students the chance to build confidence, practice important workplace skills, and experience what it means to be part of a working team.”
With Walk Up Wednesday now joining the Friday mobile café, Hawks Perch is giving the MTHS community even more opportunities to support the Transition program while helping students gain practical experience that extends well beyond the classroom.
Students and staff are invited to stop by the snack stand near the gym on Wednesdays and support the Hawks Perch Café crew as they begin this new chapter.