High school students interested in culinary arts, hospitality and foodservice careers will have a unique opportunity to experience the culinary industry from the inside when Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis’ School of Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management participates in the World Food Championships Oct. 15–18 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
As part of the event, Ivy Tech is partnering with the World Food Championships, the Greater Indianapolis Chapter of the American Culinary Federation, SkillsUSA Indiana, ProStart Indiana and Indiana FCCLA to offer a Student Culinary Experience designed specifically for high school students.
The educational experience will be offered Thursday, Oct. 15, and Friday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students will participate in an interactive, behind-the-scenes experience led by culinary professionals, educators, World Food Championships staff and industry partners. Rather than simply attending as spectators, students will explore the many career opportunities available throughout the culinary and hospitality industries while connecting what they learn in the classroom to real-world experiences.
"This is an incredible opportunity for students to see that a career in culinary and hospitality can take them far beyond a traditional restaurant kitchen. They will learn more about career pathways in culinary arts, learn how a huge event is built from the ground up, and experience the energy of one of the country's premier culinary competitions firsthand."
– Matt Jarson, Associate Professor and Assistant Department Chair for the School of Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management at Ivy Tech Indianapolis and President of the Greater Indianapolis Chapter of the American Culinary Federation
During the Student Culinary Experience, students will rotate through three educational stations:
Behind the Scenes of the World Food Championships: Students will receive exclusive access to areas not normally available to the public while learning about Kitchen Stadium operations, competitor preparation, food safety, judging, television and media production, event logistics and more.
Live Fire Cooking Experience: Professional chefs and industry partners will demonstrate live-fire cooking techniques, equipment and technology while discussing fuel selection, heat management, food safety, flavor development and career opportunities in outdoor cooking, catering and culinary entrepreneurship.
Become a Food Judge — E.A.T.™ Training Experience: Presented by the Greater Indianapolis Chapter of the American Culinary Federation in partnership with the World Food Championships, students will participate in a condensed judging experience, including a guided tasting exercise and simplified judging scorecard, becoming eligible to judge at the next competition.
The experience is designed to introduce students to the breadth of opportunities available in the culinary and hospitality fields while demonstrating pathways from high school to college, certification and employment. Students will have opportunities to interact with professional chefs, judges, educators and industry leaders and learn more about educational opportunities through Ivy Tech, the American Culinary Federation, SkillsUSA and ProStart.
Following their scheduled session, students also will have complimentary access to explore the World Food Championships, including the Sysco Food Sport Experience, culinary demonstrations, live competitions and sponsor and exhibitor areas featuring culinary technology, equipment, ingredients, product innovation and foodservice career opportunities.
The Student Culinary Experience is open to school groups and individual students, with advance registration required. Participating students will receive complimentary admission to the World Food Championships on the day of their session, along with access to the educational stations and career resources.
Students interested in participating can register using the link below or contact Chef Matt Jarson at mjarson@ivytech.edu with questions or to schedule a visit.
The initiative is intended to strengthen Indiana’s culinary workforce pipeline by bringing together secondary education, higher education, professional organizations and industry partners. The long-term vision is to establish the experience as a signature educational component of the World Food Championships, connecting more students each year with culinary education and career opportunities.
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana’s largest public post-secondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system. Ivy Tech serves more than 200,000 students annually and offers associate degrees, certificates, and workforce training in more than 70 programs across Indiana. The College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is committed to providing affordable, high-quality education aligned with the needs of Indiana’s workforce.
