This week, students from Booker T. Washington and Carver Early College high schools visited the Coca-Cola Archives, where they saw artwork, bottles, radios, soda fountains and other Coke memorabilia and had the opportunity to discuss education and career paths with Quinton Martin, vice president and executive assistant for Coke’s North America office.
The Early College program, housed in the College of Education & Human Development’s Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence, allows high school students to take college classes and earn up to two years of college credit or an associate’s degree tuition free.
Jamal Booker (right) shows Early College students photos from the original Coca-Cola factories, where workers used pedals to seal each Coke bottle that would make its way to a consumer.
Early College students from Booker T. Washington and Carver Early College high schools saw several framed prints from Coca-Cola’s history, including female soldiers holding Cokes and early depictions of Santa Claus from the 1920s and 30s.
Coca-Cola was the first soft drink to go to space. The company had to develop a special Coke can that would allow astronauts to open the drink in zero gravity, which Jamal Booker shows Early College students during their trip to the Coke archives.
The Coca-Cola Archives house hundreds of bottles of Coke, from the original designs to the glass and plastic varieties on shelves today.
After their tour of the Coca-Cola archives, the Early College students met with Quinton Martin, vice president and executive assistant for Coke’s North America office, who discussed his career path and answered questions about Coke’s operations and job opportunities.
To see more photos from their visit, click here.