Melissa Watters, education program director at the Cortez Cultural Center, had a longtime dream to empower young adults with what would emerge as Cortez’s Uplift Youth Apprenticeship Program.
Within the program, young adults are recruited as “apprentices” who craft and sell artisanal drinks — the likes of which include cactus soda, orange dream iced tea or a fusion of one’s own choosing.
“The goal is for them to learn the business from the ground up,” Watter said.
This includes hands-on learning in inventory, marketing, merchandising and customer service, as well as instruction in specific skill sets, such as building a resume — led by Watters herself.
That way, when the apprentices exit the program, they will be prepared to take on jobs beyond entry-level positions, she said.
The program’s target demographic is 18- to 24-year-olds.
Watters’ dream was made a reality with $7,500 from the LOR Foundation and $5,000 from American Family Insurance.
She’s still applying for grants to fund the future of the program, though.
“My focus has always been on what’s next,” she said.
A previous employee at Southwest Open School, Watters already knew of a few interested students when she set out to launch the program.
Three have formed the inaugural soda-crafting team, and Watters hopes it will grow with the opening of a permanent bar space in the Cortez Cultural Center.
Splashes of soda will first be doled out at the fixed space there Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, and will commence every Thursday and Friday from 4 to 8 p.m thereafter.
Until then, apprentices have been a mainstay at Third Thursdays and other events around town.
The soda operation, which Watters refers to as a “pilot,” had a humble start.
Before LOR purchased higher end equipment, it was just Watters and her kitchen utensils from home.
The director of the Prodigy Coffee Shop in Denver, built around youth apprenticeship and empowerment, became an ongoing mentor for her as she set out to launch a similar initiative.
She considered coffee, but ultimately decided on relatively healthy, unique soda blends.
The fruits of the apprentices’ labor were served for the first time July 2 at an artist’s market, said Nicci Crowley, LOR Foundation community officer.
“I think for a lot of the apprentices, this is stepping them outside of their comfort zone,” said Crowley. “I have seen their growth and their confidence grow through this program just in the two months it's been running so far. They're joking with customers, they're working quickly, being responsive.”
Crowley said that her organization is always looking for new ideas to fund in the community.
