Our Essential Ingredients
Classroom Curriculum
Foundations
Foundations
The lessons in Foundations focus on helping new Cookie Cart recruits understand and develop the skills they need to be successful on the job. This includes functional competencies such as safety, hygiene, and basic employee rights and responsibilities; along with more nuanced topics such as communication with supervisors and peers, dealing with conflict, and character building.
Leadership
Leadership
Cookie Cart’s leadership courses are focused on helping all young people see themselves as leaders or emerging leaders and exploring what that means to them. We believe leaders build leaders who build leaders. The focus of these classes is on critical thinking, becoming a peer leader or mentor, and conflict resolution; along with more advanced communication skills including sales, marketing, and customer service.
Bright Futures
Bright Futures
These lessons prepare young people to transition out of their positions at Cookie Cart into their next job. Youth are encouraged to think about and explore possibilities, and to look for jobs that are a good fit for their interests, strengths, goals, and values. Each lesson walks participants through part of the job-seeking process using real-life examples and role plays. This phase culminates with a celebration of all that they have accomplished.
Customer Service
Customer Service
After learning the ins and outs of the bakery, it’s time for youth to learn the concepts and skills required to provide exceptional customer service. At the core of this training is a deeper exploration of interpersonal communication–anchored by the CART model: Connect, Ask, Respond, Thank. Role-plays in training allow youth to practice and prepare for interactions where customer service skills will be critical in their success. The Cart Captains on each work shift are assigned to coach youth through their first time serving external customers.
Financial Literacy
Financial Literacy
Around every corner, teens face important financial decisions; yet surveys show that many teens lack everyday economic and financial knowledge. For that reason, Cookie Cart has partnered with local financial institutions to develop a hands-on curriculum that covers the essential building blocks of personal finance. Our teen employees receive invaluable life training on budgeting and saving, checking accounts, credit, and credit cards.
Credential Learning
Northstar Digital Literacy
Northstar Digital Literacy defines the basic skills needed to perform tasks on computers and online. It provides online, self-guided modules to assess individuals’ ability to perform tasks based on these skills. The modules cover basic computer digital literacy standards and are divided into three main areas:
Certificates also certify a user’s ability to complete computer skills needed in higher education and demonstrate their ability to use social media and online information thoughtfully.
ServSafe Food Handler Certification
The ServSafe Food Handler Certification meets standards set by the Minnesota Department of Health, and shows prospective employers in the restaurant industry that youth staff have received food safety training in the areas of:
Experiential Learning
Bakery Program
Our hands-on, “earn as you learn” job training program, teaches essential employment skills to teens in youth-centered bakeries. Our Bakery Program takes a creative, engaged teaching approach, equipping teens with fundamental job skills including:
Teens who demonstrate strong leadership skills and initiative in the bakery may apply to be promoted to Cart Captain. In this role youth earn a pay increase and take leadership in directing youth employee teams, training new youth employees, and managing work assignments.
Apply for Youth Employment
So you want to work at Cookie Cart…
The first step is to complete an internship training with our managers before a formal interview process can begin for our Bakery Program. The Internship will be a 90-day commitment of days onsite at Cookie Cart in our training classrooms. Complete this application when you are R-E-A-D-Y to complete our work readiness internship!
We are always accepting applications and begin training new interns during three sessions (Fall, Spring, and Summer). To check the status of your application, please send an email to the location you applied for. No phone calls, please.
Minneapolis: jobsMPLS@cookiecart.org
Saint Paul: jobsSTP@cookiecart.org
A successfully completed application contains:
We are an equal opportunity employer/program provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.