Cooking camp staff overview and profile
Staff Information:
The whole program is built on the context of each-and-every. We have kids with all kinds of ability levels… and all kinds of self-expression. So we work with each student individually to take them from where they are right now to where they want to go. And there is an ontological basis for our instruction too; we are out to model ways of being that generate specific actions and behaviors from our students. Inside of being safe, and having fun, we are out to empower and enable our students to take chances, to try new recipes, to create from scratch… and have fun doing it! Just wait and see what skills they bring home after a week or two with us!
At every location, our staff includes the following positions:
Camp Director: The Director lives on-site and is responsible for everything that happens at camp. Their first and most important job is safety. This is always our primary concern. After that, the Director is accountable to see to it that every single person is having fun. Because we know that when a student is safe and having fun, learning occurs in prodigious amounts.
Residence Life Director: The res life director lives in the dorm and is in charge of everything that happens in the dorms and on campus. The are the bosses of the RAs, they handle roommate and facility issues, they organize and manage the field trips, evening activities, and much more.
Health Director: Our Health Director lives in the residence hall with us and is accountable for the health and well-being of each person. As many as 50% of our students may take meds of one kind or another, so this is a seamless and easy process. They are also in the kitchen all day with us to handle any nicks or other minor injuries. We like it when the health director doesn’t have much to do…
Executive Head Chef: The EHC is a seasoned chef instructor who is ultimately responsible for everything that has to do with the kitchen. They conduct skill exercises, manage the chef instructors, and basically keep the kitchen running smoothly.
Chef Instructors: Our chef instructors are professional chefs with extensive backgrounds and a wealth of skill and knowledge. The key to our instructors’ success is that they have the kids do the cooking and they coach and advise. We hear so often that what other kinds of culinary schools do is the chefs tend to make the food themselves and describe the process to the students. We want the students to actually be in there doing the cooking themselves! This is where real skill building.. and empowerment… comes from. Check out the recipes we make (over 100+).
Resident Assistants: RAs live in the dorm to provide 24/7 supervision and safety for the students. Placed in the halls with the same gender, each student has a primary RA they can go to for anything. RAs are responsible for delivering the evening activities, accompanying the students when they go anywhere, and for making it fun! If your student needs to do a CVS run, no problem, one of the RAs will go with them, and bring them back (and usually other kids will want to go, and if they get ice cream while they are out, awesome!)
Training and safety:
Every single staff member has a national background check done, and attends our trainings before camp as well. We have a lot of experience and we try to re-hire great staff as often as we can. The systems that we put into place for travel and in the dorms is designed to keep the kids safe, and let them have a blast at the same time.
Some of our administrators are parents too; we run the program from the viewpoint of… how would we want it run if our own daughters were there?
Join us at campusLA, campusNYC, campusATX, campusDC, or campusSEA!
Chef Instructor Profile: Keeley B.
Keeley attended campusNYC in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America and currently works as the Chef de Cuisine at a French restaurant in Boston. Each summer he takes off to come and teach at campusNYC. He gets our system, he loves to create in the kitchen, and he has the academic background and stamina to keep up with our kids. From student to chef to chef instructor… Keeley is awesome!
Here is a picture of Keeley when he was a student at camp!
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