Panther Cafe gives Summerlin students taste of business

     The Summerlin Dining Out Club recently received an invitation they couldn't refuse -- a mid-morning cup of coffee in The Panther Cafe at Palo Verde High School.
      Seated in the second-floor library conference room, seven members of the club sampled coffees, espressos, Italian sodas, bagels and Danish pastries, all prepared and served by Charlie Jarvis' special education class. The club was then treated to carols performed by the Show Choir.
      "We jumped at the invitation," said Jerry Bernstein, the club founder, who was joined by members Roz Tessler, Estell and Ted Abrahams, Maurice and Bea Lewis, and Marlene Silverman. The 50-member club meets once a month at The Trails Community Center. They dine out as a group regularly.
      The cafe serves more than hot cappuccinos and cold Italian sodas; it is a training ground for some very special students.
      "The Panther Cafe is a school-to-work experience program that teaches members of the special education program specific job skills," said Charlie Jarvis, special education teacher at Palo Verde High School.
      Last school year, students in the special education program began researching various types of businesses before deciding to open a coffee shop. The students were involved with every aspect of opening a cafe, from naming the business to marketing it.
      "We took field trips to the Health Department, Urban Coffee Co. came over to talk to the students about starting a business, and Bill Thomas of Silver Service Refreshment Systems has become a mentor of sorts to the students," Jarvis said.
      Last year, the cafe was allocated a short-term school-to-work grant, which funds projects like the cafe for a short term until they become self-supporting.
      "We are thrilled with the cafe and the experience the students are gaining from it," said Crystal Helm, school vice principal.
      Palo Verde High School is one of 12 public and private schools located in Summerlin.
      "Summerlin has long prided itself on providing its residents as many educational choices as possible," said Dan Van Epp, president of The Howard Hughes Corp.'s Summerlin Division. "We are proud of all our schools' accomplishments and The Panther Cafe is no exception."
      Developed by The Howard Hughes Corp., Summerlin has ranked as the nation's top-selling master-planned community in five of the past six years, according to an independent survey by Robert Charles Lesser & Co.
      Situated along the western rim of the Las Vegas Valley, the community is unfolding in villages, each with a major park or golf course. It is home to two Tournament Players Club golf courses, three Sun City courses and two Arnold Palmer-designed courses under development.
      The community has eight village parks, more than 40 neighborhood parks, the Summerlin Trail, a dozen schools, shopping centers, business parks, medical centers and more than 60 neighborhoods.
      Homes are available in a variety of styles, including single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums. They are priced from the mid-$80,000s to more than $500,000.
      Custom lots range from one-quarter to three-quarters of an acre and are priced from $80,000 to $300,000.
      Custom homes designed by participants in the preferred builder program are priced from $500,000 to $2 million.