Dunsmuir High Culinary Arts Program Prepares Teens for Successful Careers

Dunsmuir High School has cooked up something exciting: a bright future in the culinary field. The school hosts a standout culinary arts program that kids are excited to join. And because this elective doubles as Dunsmuir High’s food service, the program’s pupils and teacher prepare delicious and nutritious meals each day. Covering costs might seem impossible for such an elaborate program, given the school’s smaller size, but the school redirects the funding for cafeteria staff and supplies, investing it instead in quality food and education. This impressive program nourishes students’ minds and bodies, and helping them to develop the skills and confidence they’ll need to unlock limitless possibilities.

Firsthand experience makes the difference

Culinary Arts instructor and Food Service Director Jeff Capps, who kicked off this chapter of the school’s program, has a career spanning some 30 years in creating and running successful restaurants and a catering business. He brings his firsthand knowledge to the classroom, teaching his students the ins and outs of the business, from kitchen safety to management.

“I came from the industry side [of cooking], and then came into teaching,” Jeff says, sharing how that perspective is applied in his classroom. His experience illuminates the need-to-know things that standard textbooks might neglect, so he’s better able to prepare his students for the real-world situations they’re likely to face. Setting the students up for success is a top priority. And, as he puts it, “there’s not much that goes on in the kitchen that I don’t have a story for, so of course the kids love it.”

Dunsmuir High students practice culinary arts by preparing breakfast and lunch daily for the school.

Positive reinforcement instills confidence

Jeff approaches his packed schedule of six classes a day with energy and enthusiasm. His passion is translated to the students, who get instant gratification for a job well done. Serving their own cookies gets immediate feedback. “The other students say ‘yeah, these are great!’ It makes a big difference in a lot of their lives. It’s a wonderful feeling to be appreciated and find out that you’re doing something right,” says Jeff, seeming to burst with joy as he talks about how good his students feel when they succeed.

Of course, not everything goes according to plan in a kitchen, he explains, adding an anecdote about a less successful experience. One student mistook Worcestershire sauce for vanilla extract because of the color. “Those cookies were interesting. They ate them anyway. But . . . it was different.” This positivity in the kitchen takes the stress out of those mishaps and nurtures the will to try again.

Culinary arts students not only prepare delicious and nutritious meals, they also serve them to the school at breakfast and lunch every day.

Expanding palates and horizons

The students get more from the lessons than one might expect. Discovering that multiplying recipes is math and that every adventure in cooking is chemistry builds confidence in other school subjects that seem overwhelming at first glance. Every opportunity to encourage the teens is taken. Learning that you can do something you thought you couldn’t is a transformative experience, especially for a young person.

The students are also expanding their palates while preparing for the future. From comparing different kinds of apples or cheeses so they can learn the nuance of flavor and texture, to preparing interesting foods like sushi and alligator, the students are getting a unique and valuable education. Whether they’re making cookies or caprese, they’re learning skills that will prepare them for the workforce and other aspects of adult life.

International experience

Jeff and the students are excited that the Dunsmuir High Culinary Arts program is gaining some international attention. For the last three years, they’ve been competing in Cook Around the World, a high school cooking competition hosted at Disney World Resort. They get to learn tricks of the trade from famous chefs, see what kinds of culinary career opportunities are available, and get an awesome class trip, to boot. And doing well in this contest is a glowing addition to any resumé or college application. Last year, the school took an impressive eighth place out of 83 competitors.

While the culinary program is an elective, a large portion of Dunsmiur High students take one of these classes at least once. And many choose to take the follow-up advanced courses as well. Students go through a college edition culinary arts book, are tested each week and learn safety and sanitation – they can even earn a food handling certification, giving them a competitive advantage when seeking a food service job.

Preparation for successful culinary careers

Local delis and restaurants are hungry for the chance to hire from Dunsmuir High. They know these teens already understand the kitchen environment and often call when they’re short-staffed to ask if any students are looking for work. And as for other success stories from the culinary program, look no further than Dunsmuir’s own Bee Kind Bakery, owned and operated by Dunsmuir High Culinary Arts program graduate Brandy Black.

Brandy says of her experience in the program that the curriculum prepared her for running her wildly successful bakery. She was taught how to manage a kitchen, run a food service and handle large groups. She learned that a budding interest could become a career, and that she had the chops to make that happen. Cooking in an emergency was also great preparation for baking and catering. A flood during her time at Dunsmuir High became an opportunity to make dinner at the school for 200 displaced residents. With positivity she was nurtured toward her passion, and the program helped her realize her potential.

Brandy’s son is now enrolled at Dunsmuir High School and is taking the same culinary arts elective. When he gets home from school, he tells her all about the day’s adventures in baking. “It’s kind of neat to have that connection,” Brandy says.

From baking to bonding, meals to whole menus, this culinary course is worth getting excited about. Dunsmuir High School has built an impressive program that develops life-long skills in any kitchen, be it a personal or professional one, and the confidence to carry them forward.

Dunsmuir High culinary arts teacher Jeff Capps and graduate from the program and owner of Bee Kind Bakery in Dunsmuir, Brandy Black.