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Middle‑school 'Purple Cup' presentation highlights vocational, communication skills development
Summary
A middle‑school speech pathologist presented 'Purple Cup,' a student‑run coffee cart program that uses visual supports and scripted interactions to build vocational and communication skills; presenters reported 5 student participants, 128 deliveries, 142 items sold and $311 raised since December 2025.
McKenzie Mack, a speech pathologist at the middle school, told the Elkhorn Area School District board on March 23 about 'Purple Cup,' a student‑run coffee cart that serves staff and is used as a hands‑on program to develop communication, vocational and life skills.
"Purple Cup is a student‑run coffee cart at the middle school that builds communication, vocational, and life skills through real‑world practice," Mack said. She walked the board through program tools—visual quick‑order menus, individual order cards, task checklists and scripted communication prompts—designed to support students with pragmatic language challenges. Mack also shared program metrics: since restarting in December 2025 the program has engaged five students, completed 128 deliveries and sold 142 items, raising $311.
Mack told the board the program emphasizes workplace routines, hygiene and food‑safety steps (handwashing, gloves, safe kettle handling) and gives students repeated practice with greeting customers, taking and preparing orders, matching and checking accuracy and following multi‑step tasks. Video excerpts and staff testimonials were shown to illustrate how visual supports scaffold student independence.
The board had no substantive objections during the presentation and moved on to other agenda items after a brief Q&A. No formal action was requested beyond the presentation; administrators indicated they will provide additional updates to the board if the program expands.
