HCCSC elementary schools have partnered with JJ Java, a local coffee shop in Huntington, to produce custom-designed coffee sleeves to spread holiday cheer throughout the community. Each elementary school will have a designated day for their coffee sleeves during Feature Week at JJ Java, which is held during the first week of December.
This is the second year of the partnership, as 2019 served as the inaugural event. After being deemed as a big success by both JJ Java and the elementary schools, it only made sense to bring back the program once again this holiday season.
Andrews Elementary art teacher Annette Little helped coordinate the project this year after seeing the impact it had on not only her students, but the community as a whole.
“I reached out to JJ Java in the hopes that even during this COVID time, we would again be able to partner with them and create the holiday sleeves for their customers’ coffee,” Little said. “My students were very excited last year to create the sleeves, and their parents, family and friends were super excited to stop by for coffee to receive a sleeve by a young artist. We had lots of positive feedback at Andrews and several contacted our Facebook page to post a picture of their sleeve! I think this simple act was a ‘wow’ for the artists!”
Originally conceptualized by a Huntington University student, elementary students are tasked with coming up with a design to draw on a coffee sleeve. After sketching a draft, the students set out to make their visions a reality on the brown cardboard soon to be enjoyed throughout the community.
Little also noted the importance of sharing students’ artwork with the community as being a driving force for the project.
“I think that it’s important for our students to be able to share their art in the community, even if it can simply be on a coffee sleeve,” Little said. “Artists create art to be shared, and if our students are going to feel like artists, their art needs to be shared. And what better way to share a little holiday spirit than putting a young person’s ‘artistic smile’ on your cup of Joe! Sharing what our talented young artists are doing within our schools is important. This is one way we can connect their talents with our community!”
Little added that her favorite components of the project are hearing the students talk among themselves and sharing ideas as well as discussing who might receive their sleeve and how it might make the customer’s day.
JJ Java Manager Elaine Felton appreciates the effort put into the project by the students and teachers and recognizes the positivity the custom sleeves produce for customers.
“The students do an amazing job with their artwork and the sleeves are absolutely adorable!” Felton said. “We love seeing the reactions from our customers when they see the sleeves, and last year, there were lots of people sharing pictures on their social media, which we loved seeing, too! The customers love it! If they know about the sleeves, they come in very excited to see what they are going to have on theirs. If they don’t know about it, they are very happy when they see their decorated sleeve and usually ask about them. We have lots of stories we tell them, and I think it really makes their day! This has been one of the best and most fun things we have done since we opened six-and-a-half years ago! I can’t tell you how excited we are to see the sleeves start coming into the shop and the fun we will all have that first week of December!”
Coffee sleeves are selected at random from each school’s stack on their respective days, so JJ Java cannot promise anyone a specific sleeve or search for specific sleeves.
JJ Java’s Feature Week will run from Nov. 30 through Dec. 6. Andrews Elementary will kick off Feature Week on Monday, Nov. 30, with Flint Springs Elementary (Tuesday, Dec. 1), Lincoln Elementary (Wednesday, Dec. 2), Horace Mann Elementary (Thursday, Dec. 3), Roanoke Elementary (Friday, Dec. 4), Salamonie School (Saturday, Dec. 5) and Huntington Catholic (Sunday, Dec. 6) to follow. Any remaining coffee sleeves will be used while supplies last throughout the rest of December.