Foodservice provider Aramark Student Nutrition has expanded its Chef Council Program at Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The program, which launched in 2020, invites local chefs to collaborate with students involved with CPS’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) culinary programs.
This school year, Aramark transitioned the program from a single-chef residency model to a multi-partner program. Throughout the year, local chefs visit schools in the district to host chef demos, cook alongside students and more.
Already this school year, CTE students have worked with a handful of chefs including Chef Manager at UChicago Medicine Luis Velasco, Chef and co‑founder of Flavor Temptations Sara Parthasarathy, and others.
Along with providing CTE students with hands-on learning, the program also influences the food served in the cafeteria. For example, when Chef Carlos “Loso” Hernández and Chef Salvador “Shade” Cervantes of 47th Street Bistro worked with Dunbar Vocational Career Academy students to prepare a Three Sisters quesadilla earlier this school year, corn, beans, and squash were highlighted on CPS menus throughout the month.
“The Chef Council reflects Aramark Student Nutrition’s broader commitment to student engagement, culinary innovation and community partnership—using food as a tool to connect education, culture and opportunity for the students we serve in Chicago Public Schools,” said Aramark Student Nutrition District Manager Jenny Bracamonte in a statement.
Looking toward the future, Aramark says it is looking at expanding the program further by offering training and/or internships through the program.
As operators continue to deal with labor challenges, student internship programs can help kitchens remain fully staffed. At Boston College for example, the dining program relies on high school students hired through its internship program to help keep its operations running smoothly.
Greenville County Schools in Greenville, South Carolina has also found success with its kitchen internship program at the district’s Roper Mountain Science Center which gives students with disabilities hands-on work experience.
