Innovative Class Project Pops Up at Skyview Middle School

Popcorn is providing students at with a whole host of practical skills.

Students operate the school’s popcorn stand—new this year—during lunchtime on Wednesdays and Fridays, and teachers can request special classroom deliveries.

Special Education teacher Gary Downing was awarded a grant from the Education Minnesota Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning to start the project for his CID (Communication and Interactional Disorders) students.

Downing said by running the stand—which involves bagging and buttering the popcorn, cashiering and mopping up stray kernels—the students are learning math and social skills in a way that’s fun, and benefits the school.

He isn’t sure how much revenue they’ve brought in so far, he said, however profits go toward sustaining the popcorn program, and other special education program needs.

Students Logan Johnson and Robert Moore said they enjoy working at the stand—and they especially appreciate the perks.

“I get free popcorn out of it,” Robert said.

Logan said students seem happy that they now have the option to buy popcorn at school.

The project has been a great success, Downing said, and he hopes to continue it in the next school year.