At Leysin American School in Switzerland, we bring learning beyond the classroom wherever possible to provide students with hands-on experiences tailored to their academic studies. These experiences help students deepen their understanding of educational concepts by seeing how they apply in real-world contexts. We augment traditional classes with workshops and events that build on students’ passions and address current global issues, helping them develop fundamental skills in critical thinking, entrepreneurship, and teamwork. As a school, we have cultivated relationships with several businesses that work with our students in collaborative projects throughout the year. Through one of these partnerships, LAS students recently had the opportunity to work with a local artisanal coffee roasting company, Horizonte. Not only did they witness first-hand the coffee roasting process, but they also tasted different types of coffee, learned about the environmental impact of the coffee industry, discovered more about becoming an entrepreneur, and became amazing baristas who now know how to make a fantastic flat white! They also learned about the ethical sourcing of raw materials, the complexity of distribution channels, and the production process in which they roasted, tasted, and packaged the school’s next shipment of coffee.
Through this partnership, students participated in two workshops, one at the roastery and one practicing making espresso and latte art at the Horizonte coffee van. The experience culminated in a coffee morning pop-up in the LAS Belle Époque campus entrance for everyone in our community. This allowed our students to share what they had learned with their peers and teachers and put their skills to the test! We talked with the students afterward, and they commented on how fun they found the experience and how much they learned about creating a business and marketing a product.
This partnership with Horizonte shows how much we value experiential learning at LAS. These kinds of experiences are immersive and hands-on and provide students with opportunities to become more connected to their academic studies. We’re proud of their hard work and enthusiasm, and grateful to Horizonte for their collaboration with our students. Opportunities like these enrich our curriculum and inspire our students to think in a more entrepreneurial mindset. We can’t wait to offer students even more experiential opportunities!
