Saxbys Partners with Bowie State to Introduce Experiential Learning Café

Exclusively Student-run Café Marks Saxbys’ First with a Historically Black University

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Damita Chambers (Bowie State University), dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile
Gia Vecchio (Saxbys), gia@foxglovecommunications.com, 917-280-5043 mobile

(BOWIE, Md.) – Coffee and social impact company, Saxbys, and Bowie State University are pleased to announce their plans to bring Saxbys’ innovative Experiential Learning Program (ELP) to the university with an exclusively student-run café, slated to open in fall 2019.

This lease-signing will mark Saxbys’ first ELP outside of Pennsylvania and the brand’s first with a historically black college or university (HBCU). Established in 1865, Bowie State University is the state’s oldest historically black university. BSU empowers diverse students to reach their potential by providing innovative academic programs and transformational experiences as they prepare for careers, lifelong learning, and civic responsibility.

“Bowie State University is proud to be the first institution outside of Pennsylvania to host a Saxbys Experiential Learning Café,” said President Aminta H. Breaux. “It provides a wonderful opportunity for our students to take on the role of CEO of the full enterprise, learning all of the business operations from the inside out, including the hiring and managing of fellow students. We welcome this great addition to our campus that will complement our expanding entrepreneurship education programs.”

Saxbys first introduced its ELP initiative in 2015 to embolden and support the next generation of entrepreneurs, providing undergraduate students with tangible experience as a supplement to traditional classroom learning, and further supporting the brand’s core mission to “Make Life Better” in the communities it serves.

Each Saxbys ELP café is exclusively student-run and helmed by a Student Café Executive Officer (SCEO) who is supported and empowered to develop their peers into team leaders, ideate and implement creative marketing initiatives, strengthen relationships with community organizations and enact change with meaningful social impact outreach. All the while, the students are responsible for managing their peers, overseeing all café operations, and presenting Profit and Loss statements monthly to Saxbys’ Executive Team. Each SCEO receives wages, bonus opportunities, and full academic credit throughout his or her one semester tenure.

“We have long admired Bowie State University, an institution whose values are closely aligned with our own,” said Saxbys Founder and CEO Nick Bayer. “Under the leadership of inimitable President Breaux we’ve watched Bowie State flourish. I could not imagine a more suitable host university to help Saxbys’ successfully expand its Experiential Learning Program to this vibrant campus in Maryland.”

In the weeks to come, Saxbys and Bowie State University look forward to sharing more specifics on the café’s opening, offerings, and the inaugural SCEO. Learn more about Saxbys and find a café near you by visiting SaxbysCoffee.com.

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.

About Saxbys
Founded in 2005 by Nick Bayer, Saxbys is more than just coffee. Each café is an uplifting environment filled with friendly faces, delicious drinks and exceptional food to fuel the day’s possibilities. With a core mission to “Make Life Better,” Saxbys brews real change in the communities it serves, while nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in team members who aspire to be make an impactful difference. In 2015, Saxbys launched its pioneering Experiential Learning Program to introduce exclusively student-run cafés to university campuses, complementing classroom learning with tangible experiences. Currently, eight Experiential Learning Program locations exist across seven campuses with partners including Drexel University, Millersville University, Temple University, La Salle University, West Chester University, Penn State University, and Saint Joseph’s University. Get to know Saxbys by visiting HelloSaxbys.com or joining us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.