In addition to treats, Tiger Den provides many opportunities for students

The Tiger Den isn’t just a coffee shop — it’s a work environment buzzing with creativity, teamwork and real-world learning. Entirely student-run, this cozy café gives students hands-on vocational experience while helping them develop job and social skills in a supportive school environment.

From preparing specialty drinks to serving snacks, students take pride in crafting beverages that are both delicious and nutritious. Every month, teachers Katie Walsworth and Bridget Bakula collaborate to design a new themed menu.

“We do it monthly,” Walsworth said. “Mrs. Bakula and I just kind of brainstorm ideas. She enjoys coming up with new, fun ones that correlate with the month.”

Bakula added, “We choose drinks to reflect the month, holidays and events at school — always inspired by fun syrup flavors.”

Each drink comes with a creative name and a health-conscious twist. Because the Tiger Den must follow the Healthy Kids Act, all menu items are low in sugar or completely sugar-free.

“We have to make sure that everything calculates to have enough low sugar in it, or no sugar at all, to meet that requirement,” Walsworth said.

Right now, the fan favorites are the iced energy drinks, made with zero-sugar Monster energy drink and mixed with sugar-free syrups.

Beyond serving drinks, the Tiger Den also serves as a classroom elective, where students can earn work-experience credit. To join, students must apply and complete a short hiring process.

“Students request to join and then meet with us prior to the semester starting,” Bakula said. “Student workers receive a work-experience credit.”

Currently, there are about four classes involved, with four to six students in each.

Recently, the Tiger Den extended its impact beyond the café by organizing a teacher grant program. Staff members could apply for grants — up to a total budget of $5,000 — and the student workers had the opportunity to review applications and decide how to allocate the funds.

The idea for the Tiger Den actually began in an English 10 classroom. A student in teacher Matt Klemesrud’s class proposed the concept in an essay assignment about ways to make the school more engaging.

“They each had to write a paper on what would improve the school, and then they voted on them,” Walsworth said. “The one that won was having a student coffee shop.”

That creative idea has since grown into a thriving, student-led business. And now, with the opening of the new high school, the Tiger Den finally has a space of its own.

“We love our new space,” Bakula said.