Baked goods bringing people together

Buns with a creamy vanilla centre, sugar coating and coconut sprinkles … These are the traditional Norwegian skoleboller served to the tenants of Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator every Friday.

The buns are handmade by a group called Tilrettelagt, consisting of students with special needs who attend Ullern Upper Secondary School. Tilrettelagt arranges important training for the students to prepare them for working life.

“This is an activity that the students can enjoy and have use for in their daily lives. It also brings us out of our little bubble so we can meet with the other people in the building,” said school assistant Lisbeth Fjellstad.

Young bakers

Since the Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park opened in 2015, Tilrettelagt has been baking the buns to sell to students, teachers, and companies in the building.

The students bake the buns themselves and many of the students know the recipe by heart.

“It is fantastic. My plan is to get a job at a bakery that makes gluten-free goods,” said Halvard, one of the students.

Learning practical skills

The students deliver the buns to the tenants in Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator and sell the buns in the school hallways to other students and teachers.

“It is good for the students to learn practical skills and do meaningful work. This activity develops their skills in mathematics, Norwegian, communication, collaboration, sales, service, and hygiene. We continually work with these subjects in the bakery,” said teacher Susann Steinsvik.

In Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator, the buns are a bonus for the hard-working cancer researchers. During the coffee breaks, they can have meaningful conversations with other tenants and develop their ideas.