Draft:Careers Through Culinary Arts Program

• Comment: No changes since last decline, please spend some time working to remove the promotional tone before resubmitting. Sophisticatedevening ^(talk) 16:36, 11 March 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: See WP:COI. The current declaration that you have been paid on behalf of "Name of your client" is insufficient. Greenman (talk) 16:40, 23 February 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: Especially, remove the "Notable Alumni" section, which has no sources and is filled with buzzwords. Many promotional claims are not even sourced.
  It will likely be accepted once fixed. Ca ^{talk to me!} 10:32, 15 December 2024 (UTC)

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Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), co-chaired by chef Marcus Samuelsson, is a national nonprofit organization that supports high school students and alumni in exploring career pathways in the hospitality and culinary industries. The program reaches more than 22,000 middle and high school students annually in eight regions across the United States, including Arizona, Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago.

Founded in 1990 by Richard Grausman, C-CAP provides culinary and wellness education at the middle school level and offers high school students instruction in hospitality and culinary skills, along with access to scholarships, job placements, and career development resources. To date, the organization has worked with approximately 370,000 students and distributed around $73 million in college scholarships.

History

The Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) began in 1990, founded by cookbook author Richard Grausman, as an initiative to introduce French cooking into Home Economics classes in 12 New York City high schools. Over time, the program evolved to focus on providing practical job skills tailored to the needs of underserved students. Today, C-CAP offers culinary education in public schools and supports students in preparing for post-secondary education and potential careers in the restaurant and hospitality sectors. Since its inception, more than 100,000 students have taken part in the program.

The 2008 documentary Pressure Cooker, from Participant Media and directed by Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker, focuses on one C-CAP program in a Philadelphia high school

In March 2015, C-CAP held a scholarship competition involving thirty students from public high schools in Philadelphia, Delaware, and Chester County. Participants were selected based on their performance in a preliminary competition, academic records, personal essays, and their stated interest in pursuing post-secondary education and careers in the foodservice industry.

In 2018, high school students from underserved communities participated in the national Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) Meatless Monday Recipe Contest, a competitive event focused on culinary creativity. The top prize was a $5,000 scholarship to support post-secondary culinary education, while regional winners received $2,000 scholarships.

In May 2019, C-CAP gave scholarships to 32 students from Los Angeles County public high schools. The same year, C-CAP Los Angeles Program Director Lisa Fontanesi and Culinary Program Coordinator Gail Carney, awarded over $400,000 in scholarships and opportunities to high school senior students.^[67]

In 2021, Tanya Steel, a former editor-in-chief of Epicurious, co-founder of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' State Dinner, and former CEO of the International Association of Culinary Professionals was appointed as C-CAP's Executive Director.

As of 2024, C-CAP awards $2.5 million in annual scholarships nationally.

Locations

C-CAP currently operates across eight regions in the U.S., with its headquarters in New York City. Its other programs are in Arizona (statewide, including seven schools on the Navajo Reservation), Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Miami, Washington, D.C., and Maryland.

Services

C-CAP runs programs aimed at supporting underserved students by providing access to culinary education. The organization offers middle and high school students opportunities to participate in culinary and wellness classes, internships, job training, and scholarships. For high school students in particular, C-CAP includes components such as career guidance, apprenticeships, employment opportunities, and mentorships to help prepare them for work in the food and hospitality industries. The program also provides scholarships for post-secondary education and food donations to support hands-on learning. These efforts are designed to help students build practical skills and explore career paths in the culinary field.