Sweet Morning Charities Debuts at GIN Conference

Just 8 days before the conference arrived at AC we received an email, "We'd love for your students to present at the GIN conference next week." Considering our students often require additional time, ample rehearsal, and support to perform independently, I was worried about putting this together with such little notice. We scaffolded the presentation by having each student talk about just one area of the coffee shop: sustainability, community outreach, employability skills, and our social media/internet presence. The students created their own slideshows, note cards, and prepared with one another. We did one run through with teachers the day before, and then we took the stage. What my students taught me was when I hold them to high expectations and give them purposeful work, they perform! Administrators, ambassadors, students from numerous schools applauded our students and their efforts to bring our community together and support a local, worthy cause in Quito. My students left me glowing with pride and exciting ideas brewing.