The Calais School is proud to announce a recent partnership with Two Fields Bakeshop in Berkeley Heights. This partnership will give Calais School students participating in the school’s Work-Based Learning (WBL) program a taste of working in the niche bakery industry.

Two Fields Bakeshop is a family-owned specialty bake shop with a mission to provide desserts and other baked goods to people with dietary restrictions like celiac disease and other food allergies. Two Fields Owner Nick Nikolopoulos understands personally the challenges people with food restrictions face – both his sons and nephew suffer from severe life-threatening allergies to gluten, nuts, and dairy.

Nick Nikolopoulus explained that he was inspired by the work of The Calais Foundation and The Calais School and wanted to play an active part in helping children and young adults with disabilities. “We decided to partner with The Calais School after attending the Calais Foundation Annual Gala and seeing first hand the impact that a school like Calais has on the students and on our community as a whole.” 

WBL internships help students explore career paths, develop workplace readiness skills and build resumes. Calais 12 Plus student Abby G. is the first student to intern at Two Fields this school year. Each week, Abby comes to work prepared with an apron, hairnet, and gloves as she follows the strict protocols required in an allergen-free commercial kitchen. She is learning a diverse range of baking-specific tasks from scooping/toppings baked products to packaging/labeling. Abby is also picking up broader transferable skills like learning the importance of teamwork, project ownership, taking direction and being able to communicate effectively.

Nikolopoulos shared what he is looking to achieve in his partnership with The Calais School, “I am hoping that students like Abby learn that there will always be a place for them to be accepted, productive, and happy members of society. Through our work with Abby and The Calais school, I am hoping to be a small part of paving the way for a better future, and acceptance of people with various disabilities in the workplace.” 

The Calais School Work Based Learning program gives students onsite work experience so they can ultimately seek employment with confidence and success. Over the years, the program has grown into a robust program covering a wide variety of industries, including child care, nonprofit, fashion retail, food retail, information services, healthcare, pharmacy services, electronics retail and now the niche bakery industry. Each year, new local businesses join the mix, giving Calais students even more exposure and exploration into new industries. 

 If you are a local business owner or store manager interested in partnering with The Calais School’s Work Based Learning program, please contact Maryann Braen, Work Based Learning Coordinator, at: 973-884-2030 Ext 348