GrandMa's Donuts, special ed students team up for job shadowing

Special ed students from SMEC got hands-on work experience at GrandMa's Donuts & Coffee.

The students learned skills such as taking orders, handling money, preparing pastries and coffee, and interacting with customers.

NEW BEDFORD — Special education students from the Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative gained hands-on work experience at GrandMa’s Donuts & Coffee on Acushnet Avenue on Tuesday morning.

The initiative is part of SMEC’s Transitional Services program for young adults ages 18 to 21, designed to give students the opportunity to job-shadow and serve customers in a real-world setting.

GrandMa’s Donuts opened its doors from 9 a.m. to noon at a special time to host the collaboration. The spot was packed with customers as students rotated in groups of three th