Students Learn Food Service Industry in Coffee Truck

by Ronnie Zamora/LFCISD

There’s a new truck around Los Fresnos CISD schools that has become the newest educational tool for students.

The truck is called Falcon Express, and it’s the source for three courses for students at Special Education and Career and Technical Education courses with a certified teacher on board.

Three courses are associated with Falcon Express – Food Processing, Food Technology and Safety, Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources.

It’s a unique class offered through CTE and Special Services. Teacher Galyn Thomae is certified to teach both Agriculture and Special Education courses.

Students taking the class must be in the Special Education unit.

The course provide students the opportunity to work in the food service industry from production to customer service as well as skills handling money associated with product sales.

The beverage list includes hot coffee, mocha iced coffee, sweet tea, and hibiscus/pomegranate tea for $1 each. Breakfast bars also are sold for 50 cents.

Students work on a token and wages system by which their time, effort, participation and meeting goals is rewarded by earning gift cards. These gift cards are then used to take the students on community outings where they are able to practice their community skills, interpersonal skills, shopping skills and money budgeting skills.

Students are able to bring lists from home for specific items they need and then shop for these items at Los Fresnos businesses. During these outings, students also eat out at local restaurants where they practice ordering from a menu, paying for their food, and interacting with restaurant staff.

This program also helps afford older students with disabilities with vocational options once all academic credits have been obtained.

The truck has been parked at Los Fresnos High School before classes begin a few times and will be visible at district events in the future.