Scholarship Foundation Award to Culinary Arts Program

Laci Johnson, teacher of Family and Consumer Sciences at Rockport Fulton high School, accepts a check for tuition assistance for students enrolled in the Culinary Arts Program from the Charles A. Evans Scholarship Foundation.

Laci’s comments:

We just completed our first year of Culinary Arts--dual credit, which means the students received college credit towards their degree plan. The rigor of the class has changed with the addition of it being offered as dual credit. The students are using the same materials that they would be using if they were attending class at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi. The course requires them to be able to gather information from the textbook, "ServSafe", and pass a series of tests. If they pass the ServSafe exam, they receive additional certification which looks good to potential employers in the restaurant industry.

These students were given several opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in catering. Some of the events being for the Rotary Club! Students participated in the Taste of Rockport and also provided hors d’oeuvres for the opening night of your conference in May at the Maritime Museum. The culinary arts class also prepared breakfast for the Education Foundation's First Annual Shopping Tournament. They not only had to know how to prepare the food being served, they also saw the side of this job that most people never see--the organization. The class was an integral part of the planning for this catering event. They had to determine how much food to purchase and also had to know how to cook and serve it so that we could serve a lot of people in a short amount of time. These are definitely skills these students will be able to put toward future jobs.

We have received a lot of new equipment. A remodel took place in the Fall semester last year and the kitchen looks great! Students now have access to some commercial type equipment. 8 Gas ranges, a 6-rack oven, prep tools, a griddle and a large mixer to name a few.  They are gaining "hands-on" practice with some of the equipment and tools they will be using in the food industry should they continue after high school.

None of this would have been possible if it were not for the $75,000 grant we received from the Education Foundation. The money was spent quickly on new equipment, remodeling a section of the kitchen, new textbooks, and tuition for the students to earn dual credit through Del Mar College. Tuition is about $250 per student for the entire year and it is tough for the students to come up with this. This funding we are receiving from the Rotary Club will help cover tuition for half of our students next year. The students really enjoy this course so thank you for making it possible for them to enroll. Thank you for giving back to the kids!