Walker High School students celebrated the opening of the Student Store on March 3.  The store is managed and operated by the Career and Technical Education Business & Marketing students and is open during lunches and for special events.

 Students and staff can enjoy coffee drinks and beverages, including Italian sodas, spritzers, and a variety of other cold drinks. The store also offers snack items, such as baked chips. The offerings may be expanded in the future.

 Preparing for opening day took many months while students learned the requirements and preparation to open a business. They obtained approval through the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, completed the TPCHD Food Workers Card, and participated in a variety of trainings, such as preparing coffee, cashier training, and store management.

 “Students have such a great opportunity to learn and build work experience through participating in running the student store. They are provided hands-on, real-life skills they will be able to use throughout their lives. They learn how to work with each other as classmates and colleagues, as well as work through challenges that arise when working together,” said Business and Marketing teacher, Kristin Ciolli.

 The store is run by students who have completed BAM I and are currently taking BAM II. The focus is to have students involved with the decision-making process and have a buy in so the store will be as successful as possible. All sales go to ASB to help fund student activities with the goal of raising funds to enable students to participate in future DECA club events.

The store will be open on March 10 from 5-7 p.m. to serve families attending conferences.