ST. LOUIS — Beyond the books, brewing beans is a different way to learn.
Cup of Joe is a student-run coffee shop at St. Joseph's Academy since 2016.
Megan Hackmann, high school social studies teacher and Cup of Joe moderator, has overseen the program since.
"They wanted to improve student life. They wanted there to be an educational and philanthropic component as well. The kids learn business skills working here. As they move through the program they can become managers, they get to manage inventory, do the scheduling, take care of any issues," Hackmann explained.
Hackmann said about 20 girls and three managers run the shop every year.
"We interview students usually sophomore year. When students are in it, they stay in it for three years," she added.
Senior Ava Molli signed up for the daily grind when she was a sophomore.
"I love the idea to be a part of working for the school," Molli said. "It was a great way to get involved and I love coffee!"
Molli shared students have learned to manage money and customer service.
"We run into a lot of issues with machines breaking down or scheduling errors and stuff like that and it's our job to work together as a team and fix that efficiently," Molli said.
The business has blossomed since it began.
"We generally make more money every year because we know how to manage things now," Hackmann said.
Together as a team, their passion poured into making profit.
"We donate all of our profits, so far we've donated $27,000 to various local charities that align with our St. Joseph's values," Hackmann said. "We give back to St. Joseph's scholarships, one year we had a student battling cancer and we donated to ovarian cancer research."
The students who run the coffee shop pick and choose the organization of their choice.
In the past, they have donated to organizations such as St. Martha's Hall and the International Institute of St. Louis.
They believe Cup of Joe can also be a cup of joy.
"You can contribute to making the world a better place in so many ways. This is a way for them to do that," Hackmann said.
One way to help their program is through donations.