Serving Fresh Work-Based Learning at LEAD Southeast High School’s Salad Bar
LEAD Southeast High School boasts two Life Skills teachers, Madison Cartularo and Maggie Moran, who serve students with exceptional learning needs by teaching essential and practical life skills.
As part of their work-based learning class, they recently set up a salad bar to provide students with real-life experience similar to working in a restaurant. This is only one of many creative work-based learning opportunities students at LEAD Southeast High have been provided this school year. “We also had a lemonade stand in September and a hot chocolate bar in December,” said Cartularo.
Teachers from across the school were able to order custom fresh salads from the salad bar, which involved the whole school community in these students’ learning and added to the excitement. “They were all very excited and proud of their hard work!” said Cartularo.
“We are always encouraging staff members to come into our room during these school-based enterprises and they always show up for our kids!” said Moran. “They are always supportive and patient when interacting with our population, and I know our kids enjoy seeing new faces.”
Students were able to flex a variety of real-world skills as part of this salad bar experience. “We had students greeting people as they came in and handing out menus, we had students taking orders and making the correct change, we had students making the salads, and we had students delivering to-go orders,” added Cartularo.
The school’s speech therapist and occupational therapist collaborated on the project as well.
Students will continue to host other school-based enterprises, and Cartularo is also in the process of finalizing transportation so students in the work-based learning class can venture off campus three days a week to continue to build real-world job skills.
To keep up with more student activities like this, follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
