After working in the culinary and hospitality industry for 20 years, I decided to make the switch to public education. I wanted to help young people develop practical skills that can improve their health, independence, employability, and self-confidence.
Knowing how to prepare nutritious food for yourself and others can greatly improve your quality of life. Culinary and hospitality skills can also lead to rewarding careers filled with creativity, travel, teamwork, memorable experiences, and opportunities to meet interesting people.
I now teach culinary arts at a Title I school, where many families cannot afford additional school expenses. Our culinary lab fee is only $25 per student, but even that amount can be difficult for some families. I never want a student’s financial circumstances to prevent them from participating fully in class.
This year, I have the same classroom budget as last year, but budget cuts and larger class sizes mean I am teaching 40 additional students. In total, approximately 120 students will participate in our culinary program. My goal is to give every student the opportunity to work with fresh, nutritious ingredients, not simply watch a demonstration or rely mostly on processed foods.
Our labs teach students how to make the most of their grocery budget. During our introduction to butchery unit, students learn to cut up a whole chicken and prepare homemade stock. The different parts of that one chicken can then be used in several additional labs, including chicken soup, baked chicken nuggets, and oven-crisp wings. One chicken provides nearly three weeks of learning about knife skills, food safety, reducing waste, budgeting, nutrition, and self-sufficiency.
During our four-week nutrition unit, students prepare dishes such as fresh slaw, fruit salad, onigiri, lentil dal, and fresh naan. These labs help students understand the importance of fiber, plant-based sources of protein, and creating a healthy balance of fats and sugars.
I am asking for your help purchasing fresh ingredients and essential supplies for these hands-on learning experiences. Every donation, regardless of the amount, will help place real ingredients in students’ hands and ensure that all students can participate, including those who cannot afford the lab fee.
Your donation is more than a contribution toward groceries. It is an investment in practical life skills, healthy choices, confidence, creativity, and possible future careers.
Thank you for supporting our culinary students and helping us create a classroom where every student has the opportunity to learn, cook, and succeed.

$25: Supports the equivalent of one student’s lab fee
$50: Helps provide ingredients for a student team
$100: Supports ingredients for a full-class lab
Any amount: Helps ensure every student can participate fully