Swansea, SC - Swansea's student run Tiger Deli is now open for business! The Tiger Deli is a school-based business which offers the faculty and staff at Lexington 4 lunches made to order each week.
The program started several years ago when Special Education teacher Beth Tuten wanted to teach students community-based and daily-living skills such as making a shopping list, locating items in the grocery store, pushing a shopping cart, loading and unloading a cart, unpacking items and putting them away in the proper place. “I enjoy seeing the students out in the community and how happy they are when shopping,” said Special Education teacher Crystal Robinson. ” They cut up vegetables, cook and pack the lunches, then deliver them at lunch time. They also learn how to clean up the kitchen when they are done."
Students also master and apply the “next dollar up” strategy, which promotes students’ independence when making purchases. The “next dollar up” strategy refers to adding one dollar to the price of an item, so that one never has to worry about having enough money at the register. “All of these skills prepare them for the future. Whether they live independently or with a caregiver, they will be familiar with going shopping, preparing meals, and cleaning the kitchen,” explains Robinson, “and these skills can also be transferred into job skills, such as cooking, packing meals, dish washing or cleaning a kitchen area.” This also gives students the opportunity to interact with others in public and to also get to know the teachers throughout the school. The students love going to Food Lion, shopping and cooking!
Pictured: Savannah Samuel delivers made-to-order lunch to Swansea High School faculty
