Bustling around in tall white chef’s hats and dark blue culinary jackets, cooking 6 pounds of sizzling ground beef and chopping piles of celery, the Culinary Arts Academy students at West High are busy preparing a meal that may serve their future culinary careers.
The year long course is currently only offered at West High, but City High is planning on adopting the course next year.
“I think we’ll pattern them pretty much the same as the class at West,” said Ms. Huisenga, the City High Foods teacher.
The fact that this course offers Kirkwood Community College credits for its cooking school makes it appealing to students who are looking to pursue culinary arts in their future. The class includes a lot of textbook work, and introduction to some central concepts of the cooking world.
“It gets you some of the basic skills you need to get started,” said Jordan Yordi ’10, who plans on pursuing a career in the culinary arts. “I want to go to either Le Cordon Bleu or maybe do the Kirkwood program.”
The Culinary Arts Academy not only offers college credit but also gives students the opportunity to take a test and earn a Safety and Sanitation certificate. The certificate is a must for working in the restaurant business.
“The Safety and Sanitation certificate is a great thing for students,” said Jacque Green. “A lot of kids got a raise in IRP wage after they earned the certificate.”
The Culinary Arts Academy will be coming to City High in the 2010-2011 school year.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to offer it next year, as long as there is enough interest from students,” says Mrs. Huisenga. “We need at least 25 applicants in order for it to become a class.”