After 15 years of learning how to prepare mouthwatering meals in a makeshift-if-serviceable kitchen, excited teen chefs at the High School for International Studies snipped the ribbon on a brand new culinary arts classroom %u2013 celebrating the special occasion with bragging rights and a buffet dinner.
Principal Fred Walsh and former Department Of Education Deputy Chancellor Carmen Farina were among the guests who helped celebrate the state-of-the-art kitchen and additional dining area, which transforms a small after-school home economics program at the Carroll Gardens school, 284 Baltic Street, into a fully-fledged Culinary Arts facility and curriculum.
Developed and operated by the South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation (SBLDC), the 20-week program introduces students interested in a career in the restaurant or hospitality industries with a working-style environment, where they cook with restaurant quality tools and equipment, learn table etiquette and “front of the house” hosting skills.
Each week, guest chefs from local restaurants, delis, bakeries and caterers deliver the dish, plus make one, which students recreate under the supervision of a teacher and an aide, and enjoy with everyone involved in the planning and preparation. The meals are also recorded for a cookbook and showcased by students at an end-of-term banquet.
After completing the course, students have the opportunity to apprentice with Smith Street restaurants and enroll in a Career and Technical Education course (CTE).
For more information, contact SBLDC at 718-852-0328.
