Tasty training: High school program offers experience in culinary world

19 Dec, 2010  Educational Articles School School Program

Emily Strempke loved baking and had taken several cake-decorating classes at Michael’s.Amanda Sinclair hated textbooks and, in general, didn’t care much for school — “I skipped a lot of classes,” the 23-year-old said.Both found their calling in the culinary world, thanks to the Colorado ProStart Program classes offered in their high schools. ProStart is a restaurant and hospitality management and culinary arts program offered to students hoping to pursue careers in the industry. The program is offered by 27 Colorado high schools, including five in Colorado Springs: Coronado, Doherty, Palmer, Wasson and Sand Creek.ProStart provides for college scholarships, industry-mentoring work experience at local hotels and restaurants, and the National Restaurant Associations National ProStart Certificate of Achievement. All ProStart program classrooms have kitchens, some are the traditional home economics kitchens and others have full commercial kitchens. It’s a two-year food service and hospitality management curriculum offered to high school juniors and seniors that’s certified by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The program is a competency-based study of food preparation, lodging, customer service, and business management, coupled with industry-mentored paid work internships in a broad spectrum of operations. The Colorado ProStart program has an annual enrollment of about 750 students.Strempke found out about the program at Palmer High School through her child development teacher.“I was thinking I would go to college for elementary eduction,” she said. “My teacher, Ms. Bennett, told me about the ProStart classes. I started them and discovered there was food preparation — and realized that was more interesting than teaching.”By the time Strempke graduated, she was named Palmer High School’s ProStart Student of the Year. She scratched plans to go to Johnson and Wales when she went on a tour of the  The Broadmoor and learned about its apprenticeship program.“Johnson and Wales was going to cost $64,000 for a two-year baking and pastry program,” said Strempke, who, at 21 is in her third year as an apprentice at The Broadmoor. “The apprentice program at The Broadmoor was going to be $3,300 for three years and I could take an optional free fourth year of pastry.”She was recently voted by the other apprentices at The Broadmoor to be the “executive chef” for the annual endowment dinner. The dinner is for the third-year apprentices and is prepared by all three apprentice classes.“It’s a way to show off our culinary skills that we have learned,” she said.The dinner, which is open to the public, is a benefit for the ProStart program and the apprentice program at The Broadmoor.“We designed a menu with the help of executive sous chef David Platzer,” she said. “The menu is very traditional French Escoffier.”Craig Reed, director of food and beverage at The Broadmoor, is a huge fan of ProStart students.“We have found that students who have completed a ProStart program are already focused and enthusiastic about a hospitality career,” he said. “Once they join our apprenticeship program, we know we have a committed and dedicated student who is ready to go through the rigors of our three-year program. Emily is an excellent example of how the ProStart program helped shape a young student’s dreams into the reality of being a graduate of The Broadmoor’s apprenticeship program.”Strempke plans to complete the fourth-year optional baking and pastry program. She would like to stay at The Broadmoor, at least for a while.“There are so many great chefs here to learn from,” she said. “They have been so good to me. At some point, I might like to be a chef with a cruise line to see more of the world.”Sinclair’s attitude about school changed when she landed in a food and nutrition class at Grandview High School in Aurora.“That was my sophomore year,” she said. “Up until I got in Glenda White’s class, I missed a lot of classes. I’ve always been interested in food, and the class was interesting. I didn’t miss any of her classes.” White recommended the ProStart class, offered to juniors and seniors. “About halfway through my junior year, I knew this was the career path for me,” she said.Sinclair wound up being named Grandview High School’s ProStart Student of the Year in 2005 and, as a result, received about $5,000 in scholarships. She completed The Broadmoor’s apprentice program and the optional pastry program, where she found her true culinary passion: pastry. And it has paid off — she just left Colorado Springs to take a pastry position at The Little Nell in Aspen.ProStart and The Broadmoor’s apprenticeship program has been a successful career path for these two young women. Those who’d like to learn more about these programs can attend The Rocky Mountain Chefs of Colorado Endowment Dinner at The Broadmoor in the International Center Jan. 15. Cost for the seven-course meal is $75 per person. Visit rrcc.edu/culinary/event to purchase tickets online.—Call Farney at 636-0271. Hear her “KVOR Table Talk” radio show noon to 1 p.m. Saturdays on 740 AM.

Similar Posts:

Share

Leave a Comment

Name: (Required)

E-mail: (Required)

Website:

Comment: