The Waunakee community has a long tradition of inclusivity and co-education, when it comes to people with diverse abilities. The high school in Waunakee boasts a robust Special Education program that attracts students from across South Wisconsin, providing tailored educational experiences aimed at fostering integration into society. The inclusive curriculum emphasizes respect, understanding, and appreciation for diversity and inclusion among all students.

 

A pivotal aspect of this program is its "Transition Program," which supports students with cognitive disabilities for three years post-graduation until they turn 21. This program is crucial in helping students acclimatize to adulthood, enhancing their life skills, and facilitating initial workforce experiences through internships or (part-time) employment.

 

However, once students age out of the Transition Program, they encounter limited resources and job opportunities in the Waunakee community, which often results in reliance on sectors outside Waunakee and even outside Madison. This represents a significant gap in our community.

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To overcome this gap,  we are going to establish a local “virtual” bakery that provides meaningful job opportunities for individuals exiting the Transition Program. With “Virtual” we mean that the initiative will not initially have a brick-and-mortar store, but run out of commercial or home kitchens. Especially Stroopwafels will partner with the Middleton-based bakery, Sweet Hartley’s Micro-bakery, to attain shared resources and staff and to lower overall costs. Especially Stroopwafels will focus on a famous Dutch treat, the “Stroopwafel”, while Sweet Hartley’s will focus on the high-end baked goods sector, like wedding cakes, cupcakes, designer cakes and cake pops.

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Our first activity will be operating a stand at the Farmers Market in Waunakee, from June 4th through October 15th. We will make stroopwafels fresh on the spot, and have other baked goods for sale.