The New Braunfels ISD Gateway Transition Program is giving students another opportunity to build valuable job skills, one cup of coffee at a time.

Last school year, Gateway students launched a coffee service that serves NBISD campuses, which provides them an opportunity to learn the skills needed to prepare hot coffee while gaining real-world experience in customer service, communication and workplace responsibilities.

This year, the program is expanding its menu to include cold brew coffee.

On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, Gateway students visited Wicked Voodoo Coffee headquarters to learn more about the coffee-making process and gain hands-on experience preparing cold brew. Students learned how cold brew is made and explored the steps involved in producing the drink they will now be serving through the Gateway coffee service.

“The Gateway Coffee service is beneficial for the interns to develop customer service skills and communication with the customers,” said Deidra Gutierrez, NBISD’s Gateway Teacher.

The visit also gave students a behind-the-scenes look at the coffee industry. They toured the Wicked Voodoo Coffee space, saw how coffee beans are roasted and learned more about what goes into getting coffee from the roasting process to the finished cup.

For Gateway students, experiences like this provide more than just a new item for the menu. They offer opportunities to practice workplace skills in an authentic environment while exploring potential careers and building confidence.

With cold brew now added to the menu, Gateway students served up the first cold brew coffee to district administration on Monday, September 28th.

To schedule and purchase hot or cold coffee for your campus, department or community members who would like to treat NBISD staff, contact a campus for information.