Autumn Kellems, 18, a student in the Futures program at Battle Ground Public Schools, makes doggie biscotti Thursday morning in the program's Battle Ground Barkery. Students with disabilities learn job skills and independent living skills in the program. (Photos by Natalie Behring/The Columbian)Photo Gallery
BATTLE GROUND — The little, yellow house on the Chief Umtuch Middle School campus was doggone busy Thursday morning.
Holding dog bone-shaped cookie cutters, the crew at the Battle Ground Barkery sat around a table cutting doggie biscotti from slabs of dough. Later, the biscotti would be baked twice, and then baked a third time overnight before being packaged and sent to retail locations around Clark County.
The proceeds benefit Battle Ground Public Schools’ Futures program, which prepares 18- to 21-year-old students with disabilities for their lives beyond high school.
Four mornings per week, students in the Futures program make, bake and package dog biscuits, and deliver them to local businesses. These young adults are enrolled in the program that helps students transition from high school to employment to other educational opportunities. Along the way, they learn job skills and independent living skills. Each student does chores, learns to put together a resume and independently rides a C-Tran bus to a job site in the afternoon.
Ali Holling, 18, cut a row of mini dog biscuits while she talked about the feast the group cooked recently for district administrators.
“For the feast, I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies,” Holling said as she placed a dog biscuit onto a cookie sheet.
Justin Dalton, 18, stood at the sink washing dishes while he chatted with the program’s teacher, Jodie Rogers.
“Sometimes, I cut out biscuits, too,” he said.
Most weekday afternoons he works at the Clark County Food Bank, but Thursday afternoon he was scheduled to be a Salvation Army bell ringer.
“We’re so busy,” said Diane McKee, one of three job coaches who rolled dough into thick slabs for the students.
Students make 300 dozen dog biscuits each week. The biscuits are made with Bob’s Red Mill products and are wheat-free, all-natural and have no preservatives. Some of the biscuits, packaged in red mesh stockings, are popular holiday gifts. Even with that production volume, the stock has been running low.
McKee pointed to bins holding packaged doggie biscotti and said, “That’s all we have in stock right now.”
As the students cut rows and rows of dog biscuits, they talked and laughed together.
Doggie Biscotti from Battle Ground Barkery
• What: Dog biscuits that are wheat- and preservative-free, and all-natural. Produced by students with disabilities in Battle Ground Public Schools’ Futures program. All proceeds are used in vocational training programs for 18- to 21-year-old students with disabilities in Battle Ground Public Schools’ Futures programs.
• Cost: $1.25 small bag; $4 holiday stocking; $12.50 tub.
• Available at: In Battle Ground, at Alder Creek Veterinary Clinic, Battle Ground Chevron, Battle Ground Produce, Old Town Battle Grounds. In Vancouver, at ReTails Humane Society for Southwest Washington Thrift Store, Orchard Veterinary Clinic and Butcher Boys.
“The focus is to get work experience, so the students can get paid positions when they graduate from the program,” said Rogers. “Hopefully, by the time the students are 21, they’ll have independent skills they can use for the rest of their lives.”
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