The Horizonte Coffee Experiential Workshop!

At Leysin American School, education isn't limited to the confines of a classroom. We provide our students with impactful experiential learning opportunities so they can see the practical applications of their studies at work in the real world. We augment traditional classes with workshops and events that build on students’ passions and address current global issues, helping them develop fundamental skills in critical thinking, entrepreneurship, and teamwork. As a school, we have cultivated relationships with several businesses as "Partners in Sustainability" who work with our students in collaborative projects throughout the year.

This week, our Entrepreneurship students had the opportunity to work with Christoph Sauser, the founder of Horizonte Coffee in Leysin. Christoph provided valuable hands-on experience to our students by training them to be incredible baristas and sharing his extensive knowledge of business and entrepreneurship with them! 

The students participated in three three-hour workshops to learn more about the business and gain practical skills. The first workshop allowed our students to understand the operations, marketing, and start-up process of a small business in greater depth. They learned about the ethical sourcing of raw materials, the complexity of distribution channels, and the production process in which they roasted, tasted, and packaged the school’s next shipment of coffee. Our students took this training very seriously and had a great time in the process! 

After these business and barista training sessions, our LAS entrepreneurs tested their skills on Wednesday at our very own Horizonte coffee morning at the Belle Époque Campus, where teachers and students enjoyed coffee and hot chocolate! This provided our students with the opportunity to share what they had learned with their peers and help wake up the whole campus for their morning classes! We talked with the students afterward, and they commented on how fun they found the experience and how much they learned about creating a business and marketing a product. 

We believe that the next generation of world leaders will need an innovative and creative mindset to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. Through experiential learning, our students gain the skills they will need to become global leaders and change-makers of the future. Our students enjoy learning about real-life problems through hands-on experiences, and this workshop was no exception! We can’t wait to work more with Christoph and Horizonte in the future (along with our other Partners in Sustainability), and we look forward to seeing how the students apply their new knowledge to their studies!