ATHENS, P.A. (WETM) – Jessica Zellers is a life skills teacher at Athens Area High School. She teaches students with disabilities daily living and job skills.

In Zellers class, students learn skills for things we do in our everyday lives while having a job experience at school. While looking for clothing or shoe items, students can purchase a snack or beverage. There’s a cafe inside the store that offers bubble tea, coffee, iced tea, lemonade, and more.

“In the Wildcat store, I have some kids that have been trained to make bubble drinks, teas, lemonade, iced coffee, hot coffees weekly, and ice cocoa, Jessica Zellers said. “When we sell our snacks, they get to use the classroom money that they get for doing any kind of job skill in our school. They get to spend it on the real drinks here”.

In addition, Zellers dedicates her time to giving her students an experience outside the classroom and in the community.

“We’re volunteering every week so they get to have that real-life experience but bringing it into the school, “she said. “I think it has been great for them and we couldn’t do it without the students, either because they are the ones running it.”