Happy International Coffee Day!

Are you a fan of iced lattes or straight up espresso? No matter your coffee drink of choice, today we celebrate because it’s International Coffee Day, dedicated to one of the most beloved beverages in the world. To commemorate the day, FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management has launched its own Coffee Academy, a fully-online certificate program now open to the public.

The Coffee Academy at FIU offers two self-paced courses for foundational knowledge and techniques. Built in collaboration with an award-winning team of certified baristas and supported by Lavazza North America, the largest privately held family-owned coffee company in the world, the courses cover the history of coffee and the production line from cherry to cup. These provide an ideal background for anyone who works professionally in the hospitality industry and wants to deepen their knowledge, including those employed in hotels, restaurants and cafes.

“I’m excited to make coffee education more accessible to people with this resource, made in partnership with Lavazza, that is setting the tone for industry education,” said Mitchell Meredith, program manager for the Bacardi Center of Excellence at the Chaplin School.

Click to watch this video on Instagram to learn more about Coffee Academy:

In 2024, the global coffee market is estimated to be worth $276.2 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service. Did you know that to get your cup of coffee from farm to your table, it takes 40 people along the production line?

This is one of the facts FIU hospitality student Zaria Collymore learned. She’s studying hotel management and hopes to run or own a hotel one day. She took the course, which was a prerequisite for her to go on an international educational trip where she and her fellow students gained hands-on learning experience executing a coffee event at an education conference in Montreal, Canada.

FIU students (from l to r) Ashlene Thomas, Zaria Collymore, Daniella Ramos and Violent Hahn

“Without being certified, I couldn’t operate the machine or have gone to Montreal. I think they’re trying to teach us coffee and beyond. Learning the art of coffee and trying to find more sustainable ways of making it,” said Collymore about the class.

A fan of iced Americano, Meredith says this course is perfect for a coffee aficionado who wants to upskill and learn more or a barista already working in a coffee shop.

Each Coffee Academy course costs $99 and results in a certificate of completion. This first course is seven modules. To learn more or sign up, please visit the Chaplin School’s Professional Development webpage or Coffee Academy website.