C-CAP Plans Urban Gardening Initiative

Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), a program that promotes and provides career opportunities in the food service industry for underserved youth through culinary arts education and employment, is planning to start a new initiative this fall regarding urban gardening, Richard Grausman, founder, told Appetite for Good.

The idea for the urban gardening is to talk about aspects like windowsill herb gardens, to raised beds on high school ground’s or even rooftops with teachers in its New York and Los Angeles programs. “We will gather information about herbs, from harvest, storage, handling and usage, to their unbeatable ability to enhance flavors, which has made them a staple in restaurant kitchens,” said Grausman.

C-CAP — which has programs existing in Arizona, Chicago, Hampton Roads, Virginia, Los Angles, New York, Philadelphia and Prince George’s County, Maryland — was created when Grausman was on his national book tour of At Home with the French Classics. “I saw a need to expand the palate of America. To do this, I knew I would have to get into the schools. I wanted to teach elementary school children how to use all of their senses,” he said. The program now works with public high school culinary arts teachers to help them make sure their students are given basic skills needed for entry-level jobs in the food services industry.

The enhancement program offered to students contains teacher training, scholarships and cooking competitions, job training, job shadowing, internships and career advising, among other things. C-CAP is now focusing on building awareness of the wide range of careers and is looking to industry workplaces to host the sessions. Grausman noted that one session will be held at a hotel where teachers will tour, learn about all of the different jobs, learn about the skills and attributes of each job as well as the career paths and salary ranges. “Because we have a growing pool of alumni who are interested in being involved and giving back to C-CAP, we will focus on engaging alumni in our ongoing programming,” said Grausman.

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