The Dons Net Café is a student-run social entrepreneurial business located on the historic campus of Santa Barbara High School offered through the Regional Occupational Program.
The DNC represents a 17-year commitment to inspire students to create positive social and environmental change through ethical commerce and service-learning. We represent these activities through our participation in Virtual Enterprise. All profits benefit employees and associated projects 100%.
The Dons Net Café's mission is to educate and empower both youth and community to create change that is both beneficial to society and to the environment while running a profitable social entrepreneurial business. We just want to do some good in the world.
Why the Chicken?
You may ask, "Why the Chicken?" Well, the rubber chicken started it all.
Our teacher, Mrs. Knodel (aka Ms. B.) is famous for her rubber chickens that she uses for hall passes. Ms. B. has chickens from literally all over the world sent from graduates. The chicken really became famous when Richard Cortez (class of 1997) kidnapped it and sent an actual ransom note to Ms. B. demanding free days be given in class on Mondays and Fridays. A piece of the chicken would be attached to each ransom note. The whole school became involved and it was put in the school bulletin that Ms. B. would NOT negotiate with terrorists and that all free days were hereby canceled until the chicken was returned safely. A week passed and there was no chicken to be seen; the students were in an uproar searching for it. New notes appeared with new pieces of the chicken, and it seemed as if free days would never be seen again. Finally, a masked person ran by the room and flung the chicken inside. The legacy of the chicken dance began. When our tax site became a Virtual Enterprise business, it seemed only fit to make the chicken our mascot. 
