PYD’s Young Entrepreneurs Project (YEP) teaches job and career readiness skills to high school students with and without disabilities in the Boston Public Schools. One of the main components of the YEP curriculum is reaching out to community members to provide Guest Lectures and Job shadows for our students. This November, two local businesses stepped up to the challenge and provided guest lectures for over 20 YEP participants in the Boston Public Schools.
San Bellino – The Coffee Trike
San Bellino’s business, The Coffee Trike, is gaining momentum and was named early this year by Business Insider as one of the 21 Coolest Small Businesses in Boston. San started his business in 2012 and continues to serve specialty coffee to local Bostonians with his friendly smile and charismatic nature.
November 4 we had the pleasure of hosting San in our YEP classroom at McKinley South End Academy where he provided a guest lecture to our YEP direct service and replication classes. San graciously shared everything from his personal background working in the hospitality industry, to how he decided to start his own business, and then covered many logistical questions that the students had about running their own businesses. He helped our students gain a better understanding of how the skills they are learning in YEP are relevant in real world job situations. We are so grateful that he volunteered to come speak to our participants and even more so that he was able to engage with our students on a personal level that we don’t often see. Thank you San for the wonderful guest lecture!
And to everyone who hasn’t yet visited The Coffee Trike, we highly recommend that you stop by for a specialty coffee!
The Coolidge Corner Theatre
The Coolidge Corner Theatre “is one of the nation’s most prominent independently operated movie theatres” and also one of the most accessible theaters in Boston. They provide accommodations for assisted listening as well as ensuring that all four screens are accessible.
We had the pleasure of hearing from Bianca & Maria who generously provided two of our Charlestown YEP classes with guest lectures. They focused on the history and function of the Coolidge Corner Theatre and the theater business in general. Our students benefited from hearing their passion for their careers and the opportunities in the field. We are incredibly grateful that they took the time and effort to come volunteer and support our program.
Reference: http://www.coolidge.org/about/us