Agenda: Day 2
Thrills and Spills: The Microenterprise Business Experience
Speaker Bio:
Sandra Marra is an ESE teacher in an autism spectrum disorders classroom at Hillsborough High School. Sandra has a B.A. from the University of South Florida in Special Education. She has 19 years teaching experience and six of those years she has spent in both secondary and post-secondary Autism Spectrum Disorder classrooms. She was a CARD Conference presenter in 2009. Sandra has been awarded the Excellence in Action ESE Award and she has also received the Hillsborough High School Teacher of the Year award at the high school level and was nominated for County recognition in 2011.
Johana Wright (formerly Ramponneau) is an ESE teacher in an autism spectrum disorders classroom at Hillsborough High School. Johana has a Bachelor in Psychology and Masters in Special Education from National University in California. She has six years of experience teaching in an Autism Spectrum Disorders classroom. She has received the Hillsborough High School Ida S. Baker educator award at the high school level and was nominated for County recognition in 2010.
Pier Westra and Vicky Westra are the President and Founder of Javámo Coffees and co-founder of Javámo's Art for Autism (A4A) which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the State of Florida in 2007. They have established a vision to create a world where those diagnosed with autism can lead more fulfilled, productive and happy lives. Pier and Vicky have a 13 year old daughter, Gabrielle, who was diagnosed with autism when she was four years old. Vicky and Pier have raised awareness of autism by hosting an annual contest through A4A for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Each year, they have selected pieces that have been used on the packaging of their coffee and cocoa products. In 2010, three more products has been launched using artwork submitted through the '09-'10 contest. They have expanded their vision to create career opportunities for those diagnosed with ASD through the deployment of the Kiosk Café program.
Brief Workshop Description:
The facilitators will present on how the students with autism spectrum disorders at Hillsborough High School have participated in a microenterprise business project that has served as a motivator to build employability skills. This project opened the door of the classroom into the real business world.
The facilitators formed a partnership with Javámo Coffees and received a grant awarded by Project 10 Transition Education Network to set up a coffee kiosk within the school through which they could teach their students real world job skills. Javámo provided them with products for their kiosk, along with training in the areas of marketing, operations, and customer service.
Learning Objectives for Participants
Participants will be introduced to a Social Enterprise Venture:
- Description of social enterprise venture
- Marketing plan
- Management and operation plan
- Social return on investment
- Customer service
