A distinct bustle filled the kitchen of the Falcon's Nest cafe as 11 a.m. approached.
"Excuse me - hot," said Katina Guyton, pulling a tray of ciabatta rolls from the oven and walking to the counter out front.
There, with gloves and black hairnets snapped on, her colleagues - also her classmates - were lining up behind a display of deli meats, cheeses, soups and other food.
It was almost time for the lunch-hour rush of students and staff at the Forbush School at Glyndon. At the Falcon's Nest, students run the show - from food preparation to the cleanup.
"It's a lot of fun," said Alex Bachman, 16, who, like his fellow trainees, wore a yellow shirt and green apron with the cafe's falcon logo. "I can actually do things hands-on."
Nearly a decade old, the cafe inside the nonpublic school for youths with mental, emotional or behavioral challenges is a place to teach cooking skills and workplace lessons. Part of a vocational program for students, the Falcon's Nest is overseen by Greg Zechman, the food service teacher and coordinator. The cafe - which must follow health department regulations like any other restaurant - was originally launched at Forbush's Towson campus, as a separate entity from the school cafeteria.
"It is one of the most real work experiences we can provide for the students," said Zechman, who also teaches classes on nutrition, and culinary arts and restaurant operations. "I want the kids to learn how to do everything. ... It's really important to have the students see exactly how it's supposed to be done - and do it according to industry standards."
Zechman's nearly 15 years at Forbush were preceded by more than a decade in the fast-food industry, working as a manager at such places at Hardee's and Subway. He brings his experience in that arena - and even some recipes - to the Falcon's Nest.
As his students work, they are also taught to develop good work habits. That means clocking in and out with a time card, wearing a uniform and coming in punctually every day - skills that easily transfer to all kinds of work.
And they have a gleaming, spacious new setting in which to learn. Forbush recently opened the Glyndon campus, and Zechman had a hand in designing the kitchen, adding windows in the freezer and cooler doors, as well as his indoor office, so he could keep track of his students.
