Israel, Bella, Abel, and Rachel Jensen take a selfie with Warsaw Community Schools’ Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert. Photo provided by WCS.

Press Release

WARSAW — During a March 20 regular Warsaw Community Schools’ Board of Trustees meeting, Jefferson Elementary School’s student-run coffee shop, Happy Beans, sold coffee to community and board members.

Immediately following, WCS board members highlighted the work of Happy Beans and their efforts to enrich the lives of others. The coffee shop perfectly represents WCS’s theme for this year, #KindnessWCS.

Rachel Jensen, special education teacher at Jefferson, started the project in collaboration with Jefferson parent Stacey Gagnon after reading an article on a similar project. Jensen took the idea and ran with it; the coffee shop has quickly become more successful than she could have imagined. Three students in Jensen’s class, Israel, Abel and Bella are learning a variety of lessons like how to greet people, make eye contact, count change and the impact of giving back to others. All of the supplies for the initial startup were donated by community members, but ongoing materials are purchased with revenue and donations.

“Happy Beans has been up and running for one month now and the growth I’ve seen in these students is incredible,” said Jensen. “Not only have some of their traditional ‘coffee shop’ skills improved, such as understanding the steps of how to put together a coffee, but they are also learning how to problem solve, work as a team, and adjust and adapt to change. I’ve seen their confidence in adult interaction improve, as well as some of the executive functioning skills required for the coffee shop. They have become a part of the planning process and are excited to share ideas of how to improve and grow Happy Beans.”

With the funds they raise each week, Happy Beans gives back by supporting a kindness project within the building. As part of the project, students write a letter of support to the individual to announce, “You’ve been ‘Happy Beaned!'”

“We have been able to begin serving our school community by gifting money or gift cards to students and staff who have experienced hardship,” said Jensen. “So far, we have earned $620.47 and been able to give away a total of $150 to three individuals. My students love being able to work hard to show kindness to their peers and teachers. I am excited to see what else Happy Beans can do in the coming months.”

Happy Beans is open from 8:45-9:30 a.m. every Friday inside the front doors at Jefferson. There are many WCS staff and parents that are regular customers, but community members are invited as well. Currently, coffee and hot chocolate are being sold for $1.25, but Jensen is working on a collaborative project with Jefferson’s functional skills class that will soon result in baked goods being sold.

This past week, Happy Beans was featured on WCS’s TigerCast, a podcast designed to tell the story of Warsaw Schools and inform the community about the great things happening to serve students.