FCHS Teacher Jay Welch and the Bird’s Nest Crew- WSIL’s Unsung Heroes

FCHS teacher Jay Welch and the Bird’s nest crew. (WSIL TV photo)

WEST FRANKFORT, IL – (Ashley Smith, WSIL TV- Please click to read the story and view the accompanying video. Here is an excerpt.) A local teacher is making sure his students are prepared to be competitive in the workplace. The Bird’s Nest Cafe is all the buzz in West Frankfort. They serve snacks, coffee, fresh baked cookies, and more. The cafe was built over the summer to provide a unique opportunity to students thanks to teacher Jay Welch. “I’ve been very impressed with the amount they’ve learned,” said Welch. “Some of these students I just wish I had a business that I could place them in right now.” Jay and some of his students transformed an old storage closet and shower room at Frankfort Community High School into a cafe. Jay noticed a problem with students getting or keeping jobs after completing the work program.