Space for learning

St. Joseph Courtyard and Cyber Cafe to open in August

Student Emily Hambuchen works on a computer in the new Cyber Cafe at St. Joseph High School in Conway. Teachers and students came up with the idea to create the cafe, which includes 1879 Coffee and Co., by combining two seldom-used classrooms. As part of the project, a courtyard in the interior of the building was renovated to be used as an outdoor classroom and a place for students and faculty to enjoy.
Student Emily Hambuchen works on a computer in the new Cyber Cafe at St. Joseph High School in Conway. Teachers and students came up with the idea to create the cafe, which includes 1879 Coffee and Co., by combining two seldom-used classrooms. As part of the project, a courtyard in the interior of the building was renovated to be used as an outdoor classroom and a place for students and faculty to enjoy.

A courtyard at St. Joseph High School had drainage problems for years, and a couple of classrooms were underutilized. Teachers and students collaborated to solve both problems.

The Courtyard and Cyber Cafe will open in August, and the courtyard has a new look and function.

Kathleen Gueringer, who teaches English and advises the National Honor Society at the school, and Monica Lieblong, who teaches family and consumer sciences, were the masterminds behind the project.

“I just wanted a courtyard that drained right and some flowers,” Gueringer said. She said the goal was to have a space that was inviting for students and faculty.

Lieblong, who also serves on the school’s technology committee, said St. Joseph is a wireless campus and a Google Apps school, so she was coming from that perspective.

St. Joseph High School Principal Joe Mallett put the women together to brainstorm ideas.

“That might have been the biggest mistake of his life,” Lieblong said, laughing.

“We started collaborating because we had the same goal, which was we wanted a clean, open space for learning and collaboration for our students, inside and out,” Lieblong said.

“It just kept growing,” Gueringer said. “I guess she and I just watch too much HGTV.”

Ian Martin, 14, said he made a presentation to Lieblong last year because students needed new computers.

“It sort of led to the cyber-cafe idea,” he said. “We were brainstorming back and forth what we wanted to see change in the school.”

Lieblong said Ian was “a big driving force” in the project.

She said “an old computer lab” wasn’t used much because desk-top computers were phased out, and students use school Chromebooks, as well as their own devices. “We researched who was using the computer lab, who was using the classroom. We could do more with that space, and it led right into the courtyard, so it was perfect,” she said. The 1,943-square-foot courtyard is in the middle of the school.

“[The classroom is] a large enough space that it’s going to be totally versatile.”

After getting the bishop’s approval for the project and soliciting bids to take down a wall, two classrooms were made into one to create the cyber cafe, a digital learning lab. The 1879 Coffee & Co. will be inside the cyber cafe, and the name comes from the date the church was founded, Lieblong said.

Several people jumped on board to help develop the project, Lieblong said, including Laura Hiegel Williams, director of the afterschool-care program. Architect JoAnna Nabholz, a St. Joseph alumna, designed and created the plans; her father, Tim Nabholz, was project manager.

Gueringer said the tables, chairs and ottomans will “fit about 40 kids.” They can bring their Chromebooks to study, and small classes can be held in the room, she said.

A seven-student committee is involved in the project, too. Ian, a member of the committee, created the logos for the Courtyard and Cyber Cafe, as well as the coffee company.

Coffee will be served, and a cappuccino and hot-chocolate machine will be installed. Students in grades nine through 12 can have coffee at limited times, and younger students can have flavored water. Lieblong said the school’s cafeteria manager, Jeff Crowder, is installing a “smart-snack” vending machine, and students will get those packaged items to sell in the cafe.

“It’s super cool; we’re so excited,” Lieblong said.

Students will get hands-on learning by working in the cafe, Lieblong said.

“Anybody can apply for a job there. There’s a board of seven students that will do hiring, firing. They’ve made all the decisions.”

It will be a learning experience, she said. “They wanted to sell coffee for 50 cents. I said, ‘We’ve got 30 cents in cup, sleeve and lid.’”

Gueringer said the coffee will probably be $1.50. “We’re not trying to make money. We’re trying to provide a service and teach business,” she said.

Ian, a member of the committee, said he plans to work in the coffee shop. He said it has already been a learning experience for him.

“I’ve helped with a lot of major decisions, like furniture. I’ve gotten to learn a lot about the business aspect of things,” he said. “Before this, I didn’t realize how hard it would be to change things in the school. There are a lot of people to go through.”

The students won’t get paid in cash, but they will earn service hours, which are required in their religion courses. They also will receive rewards.

“We’re working up the details,” Lieblong said.

“Mrs. Lieblong was my teacher last year,” said Emily Hambuchen, 15, another student on the committee, “and she mentioned she was starting this project with Mrs. Gueringer, and they wanted to make this place to hang out for students to make a fun environment and promote education and reading.

“I never thought about it till they brought it up, and I just jumped on board and said, ‘I can do whatever you need to help. I’d love to be part of it.’” Emily said she went to students and gathered information and opinions about the project.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” she said. “I think it will really make our school grow and attract people to it, and it’s going to be a great opportunity for students to get involved and get work experience with the cafe.”

Emily said she enjoys cappuccinos, too, so she’s excited about that, and the food items to be sold “all revolve around the health guidelines, promoting healthy eating.”

The library is a quiet zone, but the courtyard will allow more freedom for interaction, Lieblong said.

The courtyard hadn’t been used for years, she said, although at one time a St. Joseph Eagle Scout tried to fix the drainage problem.

“There is one way in, one way out through a standard doorway,” Lieblong said. “We had to dig out by hand buckets of dirt and pass them through the hallway” to a trailer. “Basically, we had old guys and kids who aren’t even in kindergarten passing those buckets. At one point, we had 96 people on that line.” The oldest person was from the class of 1954.

After digging down about 12 inches, concrete pavers were put in place so any leaks could be easily accessed and repaired, Lieblong said.

“The drainage problem — check, it’s fixed,” Lieblong said. “There will be a little bit of green space and galvanized containers with plants and herbs.”

Gueringer said she envisions the cyber cafe being used for small classes, such as Spanish, which will be online, where students can gather with their laptops.

She said she expects the renovated courtyard to be in demand. She said she plans to take her students to the courtyard to read, and she can imagine it being used for outdoor movies, alumni meetings and a place for students to take their mobile devices and collaborate on projects.

Lieblong said that in addition to a place for learning, the courtyard will be a place for students “just to chill and have some fresh air.”

The women said the project has been a lot of work, but it will be worth it when school starts and they see the spaces being used.

“It’s been a roller-coaster ride, but a fun one, ” Lieblong said.

Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.

Upcoming Events