CVHS Library launched Athena's Cooperative Cafe in August 2024. The cooperative cafe supports teachers, students, and the environment. 

What is a cooperative cafe?

A cooperative service is one that is sustained by a community. Athena's Cooperative Cafe is sustained by CVHS students, teachers and staff for the benefit of all. Contributions in-kind (that is, non-monetary contributions) are managed by trained library student assistants as part of their service learning assignments at the library. Teachers, staff, students and parents can make contributions (see below.) Student clubs and staff can make use of the coffee grounds for gardening projects.

What is service learning?

Service learning connects academic study with community service to help students solve real world problems and learn through critical reflection. 

Athena's Cooperative Cafe provides an opportunity for students to support our teachers, staff and fellow students with a warm beverage to brighten their day! 

Certain project challenges provide learning opportunities in several areas:

  • Sustainability and Marketing: How to reduce waste by encouraging use of reusable cups? What level and pace of marketing and communications is required to effectively achieve behavioral change in a community?
  • Ecology and Environmental Science: How to reuse coffee grounds and tea bags in compost and school plantings? What ecological benefits do coffee grounds actually provide (or not)? 
  • Social service: How to portion and extend sometimes limited supplies to a community? 

Pokorny, Kym. “Used appropriately, coffee grounds improve soil and kill slugs.” Oregon State University Newsroom. 23 June 2023. [article link]

Find other articles like this in the library's Environmental Science and General research databases. 

Who are our Baristas?

Baristas are Juniors and Seniors taking the Library Assistant Course at CVHS Library. As part of the course, Library Assistants rotate assignments, including the ever-popular Barista assignment, at the library. Baristas rotate once per month. Please thank them for their work when you see them at the front desk!

Who else is learning? 

Student clubs interested in reusing the coffee grounds and tea bags to improve school gardens can partner with Athena's Cafe. Please inquire at the library front desk. This is a great opportunity for environmental science learning and sustainability practices!

Faculty and staff are also learning to interact more with our Library Assistants as vital contributors to our learning community.

How can you contribute?
Teachers, staff and students can contribute a box of tea, a bag of coarse ground coffee, or a box of pre-packaged hot chocolate mix at the front desk of the library anytime. Library Baristas will take care of restocking, apportioning supplies, preparing drinks and breaking down the cafe at the end of the day. 

Please contribute:

  • Pre-ground dark or medium roast coffee. No whole beans, as we do not, and cannot, grind coffee at the library.
  • Green or black tea bags. Individually wrapped. No loose leaf tea.
  • Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate packets, or similar. A favorite among students!

Thank you for your contributions!