Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu
Houston, TX – The Culinary Institute of America
and the Houston Independent School District (HISD) in Texas have created
an educational partnership in which students can earn their first
semester of CIA college credit during their junior and senior years of
high school. This dual credit program begins at Westside High School
with the 2015–16 academic year, with plans to expand to as many as four
additional high school campuses by 2017.
This unique program will provide students in America’s fourth-largest
city with college-level education that covers the learning objectives
of the existing freshman-year curriculum at the world’s premier culinary
college. It is also a financial benefit, in that students who
successfully complete all courses at a strong level and pass practical
exams to be administered by the CIA will have one less semester of
college to pay for. They will also be automatically eligible for CIA
merit scholarships for the remainder of their four-year bachelor’s or
two-year associate degree studies.
“As an institution committed to excellence in culinary education, the
CIA wants to support excellence as well at the high school level,” says
CIA Provost Mark Erickson.
“Houston is recognized nationally for its educational innovation with a
highly diverse student population. Through this program, Houston
culinary students will have the opportunity to earn college credit while
still in high school and give themselves a leg up towards rewarding
careers in the exciting food world.”
High school courses offered through this dual credit program will
incorporate the objectives of the CIA’s Culinary Fundamentals,
Introduction to Food Science, Gastronomy, Product Knowledge,
Mathematics, and College Writing courses. The CIA will assist with
designing kitchens in the schools to teach the hands-on courses. The college’s faculty
will visit occasionally to collaborate with teachers on curriculum
development, and teachers from Houston will similarly visit the CIA to
ensure the high curricular standards are maintained.
“HISD is excited to announce a new relationship with The Culinary
Institute of America that will feed into the passion our culinary arts
students have for cooking and give them more hands-on culinary
experience and skills to prepare them for college and a career,” said
Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier.
The Houston Independent School District is the largest school system
in Texas, with 213,000 students and 46 high schools. The Houston area is
home to many successful CIA graduates, including Bryan Caswell (Reef), Justin Yu (Oxheart), Peter Holt (Lupe Tortilla), Bruce Molzan (Ruggles), Mark Cox (Mark’s American Cuisine), Charles Carroll (River Oaks Country Club), Lance Fegen (Liberty Kitchen), Roy Shvartzapel (Common Bond), Matt Marcus (Eatsie Boys), and Carl Walker (GM, Brennan’s of Houston).
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent,
not-for-profit college offering associate and bachelor’s degrees with
majors in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, applied food studies,
and culinary science, as well as certificate programs in culinary arts
and wine and beverage studies. As the world’s premier culinary college,
the CIA provides thought leadership in the areas of health &
wellness, sustainability, and world cuisines & cultures through
research and conferences. The CIA has a network of 46,000 alumni that
includes industry leaders such as Grant Achatz, Anthony Bourdain, Roy
Choi, Cat Cora, Dan Coudreaut, Steve Ells, Charlie
Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi. The CIA also offers courses for professionals
and enthusiasts, as well as consulting services in support of
innovation for the foodservice and hospitality industry. The college has
campuses in Hyde Park, NY; St. Helena, CA; San Antonio, TX; and
Singapore.
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