Summary
Auguste Escoffier Career Services School of Culinary Arts struggles to graduate students due to barriers presented by the six-week Externship requirement. The Escoffier Externship designed and implemented by Chef Becca, provided a comprehensive curriculum for students to meet graduation requirements in a virtual setting.
Situation
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts is a culinary institution with campuses in Boulder, Colorado; Austin, Texas; and online. The school specializes in culinary and pastry arts education, offering accredited diploma and degree programs. The school made history when it became the first culinary institution to offer an online culinary arts and pastry arts diploma program through its accredited Boulder campus. Many students who attend the various programs at Escoffier struggle to graduate because of the six-week, 150-hour externship requirement at the end of their coursework. During the last six weeks of their track, students must locate a site where they can apply the skills they have learned in practical ways. The experience is designed to mirror their future work in a culinary career.
Response
Invited by Escoffier Career Services in 2019, Chef Becca designed a comprehensive externship experience that allows students to explore non-traditional culinary careers through a virtual setting and to connect skilled culinary professionals with Cooperative Extension. The Externship provides opportunities for real-life experiences and builds on the skills and techniques covered in the student’s coursework. The Externship must be completed by an assigned date in order to fulfill their program commitment and become eligible for graduation. Prior to this innovative curriculum for the Externship, students with physical restrictions, family responsibilities, or other limitations were often unable to complete the course and/or graduate on time.
Through Chef Becca’s Externship, students work in recipe and formula development, sensory testing, instructional videos, newsletter articles, and lesson plan creations. Assignments include the following:
• Develop two to three recipes that encourage youth to eat healthier and more balanced (based on My Plate).
• Complete a weekly 200-300-word article to appeal to youth and families on topics such as:
o Georgia commodities and nutrition
o Benefits of seasoning with herbs and spices
o Kitchen recipes for families
o Impact of taste on recipe development for families
o Safety in the kitchen
o Trying new foods
Impact
• Out of 154 externs, 92% stated that they had a newfound interest in working for the cooperative extension system in the future.
• Before this externship opportunity, only 67% of virtual students were graduating. However, since 2019, the overall graduation rate for virtual students has increased to 89%. This is a 22% increase in four years.
• By September, 2023, the graduation rate reached 96%.
• The Clayton Fresh Externship has expanded the program and increased the Externship reach for Escoffier.
• Since the implementation of the program through Cooperative Extension, Chef Becca has worked with more than 175 graduating students equating to approximately 3,800 hours of externship experience which is similar to the output of a part-time family and consumer sciences program assistant.
• Through the Externship, Chef Becca has reached students from 31 states and 2 countries.
Below are some testimonials:
“What you have helped us accomplish and the lives you have changed, just from an Escoffier perspective, is amazing. We are clear that through our assessment in terms of people with significant barriers to the Externship, you have helped them in culinary arts, self-confidence, and career exploration.” ~Escoffier administrator, Colorado
“I loved the Externship very much. Everything Clayton Fresh works toward is something I have supported my entire life. I love their concepts and what they are teaching children.” ~Escoffier student, Bahamas
“I wanted to thank you again, for your dedication and commitment to our students. You have been such a huge help in allowing students to complete their course work.” ~Escoffier chef professor, Illinois
“I learned how to respect and focus on foods and food groups. I never even heard of My Plate before this Externship. Most of all I loved how the Externship Program was centered around MAKING KIDS HEALTHY!” ~Escoffier student, Georgia
State Issue
Other Programming
Details
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Year:
2023
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Geographic Scope:
International
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County:
Clayton
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Location:
College Station, Athens
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Program Areas:
- Family and Consumer Sciences
