Local culinary students shadow at PSUSD’s Central Kitchen
Some local students spent the day getting ‘hands-on’ experience inside the Palm Springs Unified School District’s Central Kitchen.
“I think the kids that come here are always excited to be here,” said Michelle Poirier, the Central Kitchen’s supervisor.
Students from both Rancho Mirage High School and Desert Hot Springs High School shadowed kitchen staff members Tuesday morning, learning what it takes to successfully feed thousands.
Students who participated from Rancho Mirage are a part of the Culinary Academy of Food Exploration (C.A.F.E.) program. “They basically give us a head start to the hospitality services, like cooking or serving,” said Jahir Perez Lopez.
The students from Desert Hot Springs are a part of the Academy for Careers and Education (A.C.E.) program. “It’s very interesting too especially when you want to go towards that career path,” said Amy Tamez.
Organizers say the whole idea is to allow interested students to job shadow for a day -- prepping them for real jobs in the food or service industries.
“It opens up an entirely new world for them and they realize that there are all these other jobs or opportunities they can actually pursue,” said Stephanie Bruce, director of nutrition services for PSUSD.
“It actually teaches us about the real world and not just sitting in a classroom and learning stuff on the board. It actually helps us learn,” said Hector Villalobos.
