SAN BENITO — From cooking and baking methods to service operations, students of this school district will be able to learn the ins and outs of this savory career pathway.
San Benito High School will offer a new Culinary Arts Program, as part of the career paths offered by the school district’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department.
The program will begin during the upcoming 2020-2021 school year.
“Personally, because I love to cook, I look forward to being able to offer this opportunity to the students,” CTE Director Fernando Rosa said. “They can make it a career or they can have experience working in a kitchen.”
The program’s new classroom and kitchen are currently under construction.
According to a Facebook post from the school district, contractors and district maintenance staff are working hard to ensure the facilities are up and ready to go when students return.
The program will offer three courses — Introduction to Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts and Practicum in Culinary Arts.
Introduction to Culinary Arts will emphasize the principles of planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling the management of a variety of food service operations. The course will provide insight on how to operate a well-run restaurant.
The entry level course will also provide insight into food production skills, various levels of industry management and hospitality skills. It is offered as a classroom and laboratory-based course. Students will receive one credit for completing it.
Culinary Arts begins with the fundamentals and principles of the art of cooking and the science of baking and includes management, production skills and techniques. Students can pursue a national sanitation certification or other appropriate industry certifications.
The course is offered as a laboratory-based course. Students will receive two credits.
Practicum in Culinary Arts provides specific occupational opportunities for students to participate in a learning experience that combines classroom instruction with business and industry career experiences.
The course integrates interdisciplinary instruction and academic, career and technical education. Additionally, it’s aimed toward supporting strong partnerships among schools, businesses and community institutions. Students will receive two credits for this course.
“We’re really excited about it. I think it’s going to be fun and the students are going to enjoy the program,” Rosa said. “You never know. The next Bobby Flay might come out of our group.”
Rosa said he’s looking into ways the CTE Department can tie some of its other programs to the Culinary Arts program.
“We’re looking at horticulture and I talked to the teacher about creating an herb garden,” Rosa said. “That way culinary students can go in there and get all of the herbs, spices and things that we grow on our own.”
