Students at Independence High School participated in a work-based learning simulation on Friday, May 22. The opportunity was available to sophomores through seniors to showcase skills and lessons learned in the food service industry by preparing and serving various refreshments to the school staff, free of charge, to help them prepare for a realistic first job.
"We have built Club Soda to provide an experience within the school day that empowers students to step into real-world roles that span multiple careers within the food service industry,” said Alexandra Swinimer, Career and Technical Education teacher. “Students apply their classroom knowledge from both Nutrition and Wellness as well as Introduction to Culinary Arts to practice meaningful, hands-on tasks that build both hard and soft technical career skills.”
Student participants welcomed the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and grow their technical career skills at this event. Junior Joe McDonald stated, “Club Soda was a very fun and educational experience that helped me get a better understanding of certain key roles within the food industry.” He also expressed that he felt the most important skill that everyone grew stronger in was communication. “Once we got the hang of that, things were moving a lot smoother and more efficiently,” he said.
“Club Soda was an amazing experience that gave me the opportunity to learn and engage within the food service industry through hands-on experience,” said junior Laila Henerson. “This experience let me communicate with my peers in a way that was both professional and educational, and gave me insight and background into what a career in the food service industry would look like.”
The students will now be able to take the skills they have gained into their professional lives. Students and staff found the event impactful, educational, and fun.