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Photograph by Skye Dunlap
J.K. Keating (17) lines up free samples of ice cream for students at Homestead High school during the pre-Grand Opening of a student-run stand last Friday afternoon.
Students celebrate startup launch with free ice cream
By Jeff Kearns
Cupertino's newest startup opened its doors for the first time last week and started giving away its product for free. It may be an unusual business move, but maybe that's because it's a unique business.
A nonprofit ice cream shop, owned and operated by special education students and Interact Club members, launched on Monday, Jan. 14, at Homestead High School, with a free taste-test preview. The store officially opens for business on Jan. 24.
On that day, officials from the Fremont Union High School District, the cities of Sunnyvale and Cupertino, and the and Chambers of Commerce from both cities, will be on hand for the grand opening.
Special education teacher Kathleen Whitney says proceeds from the store will be used to fund educational materials, guest speakers and field trips for the special education department. Students in the department plan to give some of their profits to charity.
The program also aims to give its 25 participants from the special education department a chance to develop math and vocational skills and have increased social interaction with the rest of the students, Whitney says.
Junior Shyamolie Stokes, an Interact member and one of the shop's main organizers, is ready to start scooping.
"It's been such a wonderful experience working with the special ed. students," says Stokes, "because normally in the school environment you don't get a chance to interact with them and they're all wonderful people, so it's really cool."
The shop is the second of its kind in the state, and was loosely modeled on a similar operation at a school in Monterey County. Special education students and Interact volunteers will jointly staff the shop during the lunch hour four days each week.
Behind the counter at the shop are the same amenities of any other ice cream shop: a dipping cabinet with space for 16 tubs, a water tray, sinks and a milkshake machine.
The facilities were a gift of Los Altans Jeanne and George Zosky, who have two children at the school: Michael, a freshman, and Elizabeth, a junior and special education student.
"We wanted to help implement the program because there was nothing like it on campus, " Jeanne Zosky says. "And some of the kids who are participating don't have the ability to work outside of the school because some have physical handicaps or can't get around safely by themselves.
"Plus, we wanted to do something innovative for the department so the special ed. kids wouldn't feel isolated and could interface with the mainstream kids."
George Zosky says his daughter Elizabeth plans to work behind the counter.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
