Career Exploration Day and Healthy School Food Competition

There’s no doubt you are dedicated when waking up on a snowy Saturday morning to trek to Quincy seems more like a thrill then a drill. Even amidst the inclement weather, we had almost 100% turnout for Future Chefs’ 4th Annual Career Exploration Day with 35 high school students, 10 alumni volunteers, 6 industry partners, 4 staff, and 4 adult volunteers participating. Oh, and did we mention The Boston Globe showed up, too!?

Photos courtesy of © Laura Widness of Ruby Shoes Photography 2012

Career Exploration Day is an annual youth event that unites participating high school students and returning student volunteers with industry partners for a day of exploration, learning and fun. This year students from Everett, Quincy and Somerville focused on the School Food Movement and devised alternative recipes that could be replicated in their own cafeterias. After-school meetings leading up to the event emphasized action planning, time management, teamwork, hard skills practice, nutrition, and presentation skills.

Yuri (Somerville Senior) could not have thanked the panelists any better by saying, “This makes us feel special. You all speaking to us… Showing up a Saturday morning… Caring about our futures. Thank you”.

   

Food Educator, Laura Zientek and FC Alum, Gaits kicked off the day with a quick game of “Captain” before everyone broke into teams to talk about Values at work and in life. Here’s a look at what the panelists had to share:

“It’s really important to COMMUNICATE with your whole team and to be HONEST with the chefs above you. I try to over communicate and then follow up to make sure we’re all on the same page”.     –Matthew Barros

“I’m a lot older than you all and I’ve never taken a sick day. Does that mean I’ve never been sick? NO. You gotta do what you gotta do. RESPONSIBILITY is a huge part of this industry”. 
– Bryce MacKnight

“Line Cooks. Dish washers. Chefs. They are your family and they will take care of you as long as you treat them with RESPECT.”     — Barry Joyner

“You have to love food and be driven to succeed in this industry. Get EXPERIENCE first. You don’t want to be sitting with 100K debt and realize this isn’t for you”.   
– Steve “Nookie” Portal

After much consideration, panelists announced the winners:
Best Overall Lunch
Quincy High School (Asian Chicken Slaw, Veggie Deluxe Pizza, Pineapple Gelato)
Best Individual Dish
Everett’s Pesto Chicken Salad
Best Verbal Presentation
Somerville High School
Individual Leadership Award
Xristos Vardakostas, Quincy High School

Industry Panelists:
Matthew Barros, Executive Chef at Market
Alex Emmott, Boston Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program
Barry Joyner, The Salty Pig
Bryce MacKnight, Executive Chef at Brick & Mortar
Tara Lightbody, Chef at Belmont Day School

Event Sponsors:
Cambridge, 1., The Salty Pig, Nestle Waters, Picco, The Upper Crust, Flatbreads, Quincy High School

Live to Bake

A couple months ago, we shared about the Live to Bake fundraiser created by 12-year old Samantha. To date, we are excited to announce that $5,356.10 has been raised for Future Chefs!

Thanks to this fundraiser, Future Chefs has the capacity to bring a temporary Program Developer on board to formally outline our Mentoring Program. Not only are the sweets in L2B going to curb our cravings for months but, more importantly, the opportunity to expand Future Chefs programming is a gift that will truly keep giving for years to come.

Thank you, Samantha, for being an example to all young people that when a good idea is coupled with motivation and adult support, anything is possible!

Calling all Program Developers and Mentoring Mavens…

Future Chefs is Hiring!

Have you ever mentored a young person or, perhaps even been mentored yourself? Have you ever been part of a start-up business or been in charge of developing new programs within an organization? Do you believe in building opportunities for young people and want to make an impact in Boston? If so, then this position is for you!

To increase older youths’ access to supportive relationships with adult professionals during the school to career/work transition, Future Chefs is creating a formal mentoring project to ensure these relationships are matched, supported and nurtured effectively.

The Future Chefs Program Developer will create a Mentoring Model model that:

1) Provides extended mentoring and coaching to support the school to work/career transition during high school and through early work and post secondary training
2) Guides the recruitment, training and supervision of adult professionals as mentors
3) Describes the method and impact to participants, families, foundations and community partners
4) Clearly connects expected outcomes to mentoring

Click here to see the full listing.
This position is sponsored by Mass Mentoring and certain conditions apply.

Give Back With The Grill

Ashmont Grill is Benefitting Future Chefs on Monday Nights in July!

It’s no secret that Ashmont Grill is a favorite Dorchester destination but what you may not know is that on Monday nights the Grill hosts “Give back with the Grill”- a Wine Club that knows how to eat, drink and be merry while also giving back to a local organization.

Please, join us on the patio for a fantastic four-course meal with wine pairings. It’s only $35 and for every Wine Club meal served, $5 will go directly towards Future Chefs!

Monday, July 4: Closed
Monday, July 11: American Classics
Monday, July 18: Nantucket Vineyards
Monday, July 25: Cool Coastal Wines

To RSVP: Please call the restaurant after 4PM to make a reservation: (617) 825-4300.
“Always 4 courses. Always at 6:30. Always $35″. Please be prompt.

Many thanks to our very good friend and restaurant partner, Chris Douglass, for supporting Future Chefs. Since 2008, Chris has employed over 10 Future Chefs and we are thrilled to see a few of them on the job in July!

Jan Plan for Life: Three ways to keep learning in the new year

Jan Plan for Life: Three ways to keep learning in the new year.  Hi folks,  read a great blog post from Future Chef Volunteer, Elisa Chiniara.  I met her when she worked for Preserve and was composting her lunch in the ‘ladies’ lounge.  Elisa has contributed great energy and ideas to Future Chefs marketing, some of which are on target for this spring.  She volunteers at our events when she has time and we love her sharp mind as much as she appreciates a sharp cheese!  When you read this blog, you’ll see why.  Learn from Elisa!

2011? Bring. It. On.

Julia Shanks‘ e-letter landed in my box this morning filled with pragmatic and plain spoken approach for small food operations. Chefs and owners will recognize her from Interactive Cuisine and Sebastians or may already subscribe to her great blog  Grow.Cook.Eat. Julia is a new Advisor and brings a level head and big heart to our effort.   We’ll count on her to help us run a tight, sustainable ship.  Welcome Julia!

Future Chefs begins the year with a successful year end appeal under our belt.  Other Advisory Council members, Erin Griffith, of Middlehouse Events and Chris Douglass of Ashmont Grill and Tavolo supported an effort that put us over our goal!  Thanks to each donor, new and returning, whose gifts made it possible for us to earn a $15K match from the Amelia Peabody Foundation.  Oh yeah .

Tomorrow we hold a Career Exploration Event and an inspired burrito cook off  sponsored by boloco for students from 4 local high schools.  Jose Duarte, Owner of Taranta, Carol Kong of Haley House Bakery Cafe and Dillion Blair of City Fresh Foods will join 3 other professionals to inspire our students with their stories and advice.  Future Chefs alumnae staff all our events and one of them sent a note of encouragement this morning:  ”Ann, I like the overview of the preparation for tomorrow. It fits all the criteria that we as alumnus need to think about. I like it. We’ll see you tomorrow.Thank You, Luis “Memo” Colon.” 

Young adults like Memo are the inspiration for Future Chefs and represent the goal for our work.  I met him in 2006 at Madison Park High School. The first in his family to go to college, he struggled through remedial math and english classes at Bunker Hill Community College, earning his Associates degree in Business while working at Starbucks.  This fall he began studying for an International Business degree at UMass and just passed all his first semester accounting and math classes.  There are so many other high potential youth in this city who need support and opportunities and we are dedicated to adding our special sauce to that dish.

It’s going to be a good year for our Future Chefs Community.  Good luck to the students who are competing in boloco’s inspired burrito contest tomorrow and good luck to Lizzy Agneta (09)  competing for Bunker Hill in the New England Regional Almost Famous Chef contest on January 27th. 

2011?  Stay inspired, stay in touch and Happy New Year to one and all!  Toni

Investing – Future Chefs Style!

In the coming weeks Future Chefs will gain recognition as a finalist for the 2011 Social Innovation Forum  and a featured story in Edible Boston’s December issue.  How did our still young School to Career Program get the attention of two respected, seemingly unconnected institutions?  Who else is walking awhile with ‘our’ youth as they mature and find their place among their peers and mentors?  Is Future Chefs a place, a point of view, a shared endeavor, all of the above? Everything we do, from fundraising to youth work, depends on the care and feeding of a joyful community, people who value our potential for growth and change.  Each member of this community invests in us, some with much appreciated dollars, others with time and energy, many with both. Researchers call the network of connections and relationships that nourish and fuel an endeavor Social Capital.  To illustrate how it works, I’m excited to share a great letter that Program Manager, Ann DiClemente wrote to Takila Adger, a Future Chef Senior at Madison Park High School who has been building her professional network with us.  Read the letter and look at the picture to see how many far flung characters (people and organizations) have already entered Takila’s unfolding story (and ours!).

Hello Takila,

I wanted to pass along some great feedback I heard this morning regarding you and your Aramark internship.

Kelli Cottom, who is the director for the college relations program at Aramark headquarters in Philadelphia met with me to discuss the success of their partnership with Future Chefs and informed me that you were, by far, one of the best high school interns they have ever had. She was particularly impressed that you wrote her a thank you email and that only one other intern from across the east coast thought to do that. That is an example of how great communication skills can make all the difference as you move forward in your professional track. You made a fantastic impression at your presentation and the positive feedback got all the way to Philadelphia where they are looking to use your internship experience as a model for how to expand the program next summer to more cities.

In addition, there was a major conference for the head of the Aramark corporation where they discussed the national intern program, its successes and closed with the story of Renee Takila Adger, a student from Boston who represents the potential success of all their future interns. Your face was up on screen and was the closing remarks of the program!

I knew that it was a mutually good experience for both you and Aramark, but I had no idea that you made such a lasting impression that made it to corporate.

I wanted to share this information with you Takila and thank you for paving the way for future interns and congratulate you on earning a fantastic recommendation that will undoubtedly serve you as you move forward.

I will see you tomorrow at Madison for our school meeting.

Best, Ann

Chef Jody Adams and Future Chef Takila Adger

Culinary Students: don’t get burned by student loan debt!!!!

 If you are planning to go to culinary school after high school or thinking of changing your career, BE CAREFUL!  Read these articles  from WBUR’s recent series on the Education Bubble to see what happens to students who don’t do their homework about loans.  Consider studying at Community College or get an entry level job in a restaurant you like to see if you actually like sweating over a hot stove before you drop serious dollars on unsubsidized loans!  A culinary career might be the right fit for you, but you won’t love your work if you are drowning under so much debt that all you can do IS work.   Programs like ours help students get educated about debt BEFORE they invest precious resources of time and money.  Sure there are bad folks out there trying to lure students into taking out these loans, but they can’t do it if you are educated and live and study within your means.   More on this later!

Enter this contest! You know the answer!

The Boston Foodie is helping Future Chefs meet new friends! Go to their page to answer the question of the day for a chance to attend a great $100 a plate dinner. 

Our good friends, Chef Alison Hearn (Ten Tables) and Will McAdoo (The Boston Foodie) spent some time with us yesterday brainstorming ideas for an end of summer fundraiser for Future Chefs.  Stay tuned! 

Meet Maria Taylor, Madison Park Future Chefs ’08 grad, helping out at our Awards Dinner last month. Maria didn’t feel prepared to go to college and took a year to get up her courage to try one class.  She aced it and is on her way towards an associates degree at Bunker Hill Community College where she is a welcome member of our Success Team.  Thanks, Maria and all the Future Chefs at BHCC for making our 3rd  Annual Awards event a delicious success.

Elephant Walk donates 3% of all sales, all May, to Future Chefs!

3 days ago Future Chefs held our 3rd Annual Awards Dinner to celebrate and recognize our 2010 students’ achievements.   Elephant Walk Owner, Bob Perry came to learn more about Future Chefs and guess what???

3% of all sales in May from the Elephant Walk in Waltham will go to support Future Chefs!

Elephant Walk,a Benefit Restaurant™, commits 3% of their sales to charity each month. That’s 3% of every meal, every bite, every sip – eat-in, takeout, and delivery.

You know what to do -  SPREAD THE WORD!

Mother’s day, Father’s day and graduation gift certificates…Tell 3 friends …  Dinner and a movie  with a walk throught the Common, across the Charles to Walthams great Embassy Theater? 

We are so PROUD to be  beneficiaries this month and the proceeds will go to supporting our program.

  (our students, volunteers and staff of 2010 Cook Off)