When the PrincipalsConnect Board toured East High School last fall, Brigitte Kammerer pulled Mary Minow aside to share an idea. Minow is a national expert on libraries, having been appointed by President Obama to serve on a national board. Kammerer, a librarian at East High, wanted to create a coffee station in the school library that would attract students and teachers to the space. In partnership with Jonetila Williams, a business teacher at East, Kammerer’s dream was to attract more students to the library, increase reading, and boost teacher morale by offering the service.
Enter Danny O’Neill, the founder and CEO of The Roasterie Coffee, who visited East and helped put a plan into action by sharing programs
The Roasterie serves many other area schools. Kammerer visited Jessica King at Liberty High school, which has had a café for over 18 years. It became apparent that the teachers who stopped by for their caffeine fix loved the service. Check back later this year for an update on the start of East’s coffee program.