Student-run 'CAB with Cops' brings officers into Dover classrooms and raises funds for vocational skills

At the Dover Area School District board meeting, life-skills teacher Amanda Oswald and student helpers presented "CAB with Cops," a student-run beverage program designed to teach transition and workplace skills.

Oswald said the program — founded in 2017 — operates as both a student business and a hands-on lessons program. “This year, students have sold over 5,300 beverages,” she said, and noted grants from the Dover Eagle Foundation and a Y Cal grant helped them buy equipment and expand CAB Cafe activities.

Oswald described a recent on-campus event that invited police, the coroner, probation officers and game wardens to meet students and answer questions. She said the goal is to build positive relationships so students “aren't afraid to ask questions” of officers and to normalize first-responder visits to the school.

Students described their role in the program: processing orders, handling money and planning events. Oswald also described plans to broaden the program beyond police to include fire and EMS in the future.

Why it matters: The program gives students real-world vocational experience, contributes modest revenue to school activities and creates a recurring community link between students and public-safety agencies.

What's next: Oswald said certificates for recognized student athletes and CAB materials were available in the lobby after the meeting and that the program will continue expanding community events.