DPS culinary programs give students real-world job experience

**Zacha341** · January-01-12, 09:52 AM

The program, called Drew Nutrition Center, is now one of three Detroit Public Schools student programs that cater meals for the public, including providing baked goods.

http://www.freep.com/article/2012010...job-experience

**stasu1213** · January-01-12, 10:18 AM

I am glad to hear about this program. It gives the students a hands on experience. I hope this type of program could go into other type of talents such as clothing design, architecture, electonics or electrical training. etc. The students in DPS have many skills. I am not singleling out Cass, Renassiance and other high achieving schools. I am pinpointing the students who attend "throw away or secondary" schools. Many of those students have incredible natural talents and skills. People would be surprise at what these kids could do.

**313WX** · January-01-12, 10:21 AM

FWIW, DPS already had this, until they closed all the vocational schools, or at the very least cut their budgets down to the bone marrow. In fact, they had these things INSIDE the schools themselves during DPS' prime.

It's not anything new...

**Zacha341** · January-01-12, 10:29 AM

Re-read the article. Breithaupt and Golightly Career and Technical Centers [[previously called vocational schools - votechs) are mentioned as the two other schools offering culinary. Cuts have been applied for sure; the only Career Tech that closed was Crockett which is now the Ben Carson school of medical arts. Murray-Wright was one of the first 'vocational' schools. Breithaupt, Golightly, Randolph, Crockett and Davis Aerospace came about later.

Originally Posted by 313WX

FWIW, DPS already had this, until they closed all the vocational schools, or at the very least cut their budgets down to the bone marrow. In fact, they had these things INSIDE the schools themselves during DPS' prime.

It's not anything new...

**Zacha341** · January-01-12, 10:31 AM

Agreed. I went to Murray-Wright, the first of the vocational high schools in Detroit!

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I am glad to hear about this program. It gives the students a hands on experience. I hope this type of program could go into other type of talents such as clothing design, architecture, electonics or electrical training. etc. The students in DPS have many skills. I am not singleling out Cass, Renassiance and other high achieving schools. I am pinpointing the students who attend "throw away or secondary" schools. Many of those students have incredible natural talents and skills. People would be surprise at what these kids could do.

**313WX** · January-01-12, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Re-read the article. Briegthaupt and Golightly Career Techs [[previously called vocational schools) are mentioned as the two other schools offering culinary. Cut have been applied for sure; the only Career Tech that closed was Crockett which is now the Ben Carson school of medical arts. Murray-Wright was one of the first 'vocational' schools. Brieghtaupt, Golightly, Randolph, Crockett and David Aerospace came about later.

Actually, I don't stand corrected. If anything, it's just a waste of a news article.

As I already said, these things have always been available. It's just that due to the cuts [[and BTW, there have been several proposals to shutter Breigthaupt and Golightly completely) that these opportunities have only been available to a select few.

The only thing that seems to be new is the vegetable garden.

**Zacha341** · January-01-12, 10:39 AM

Opinions will vary as they do regarding many news articles and posts here.

Fine, they may ALL close [[I've heard about it as public record), but for the students that go thru 'this' June, 2012, I'm encouraged that they'll have additional skills to apply to work and college.

Kudos to Drew Nutrition Centers efforts in this area!

Originally Posted by 313WX

Actually, I don't stand corrected. If anything, it's just a waste of a news article.

As I already said, these things have always been available. It's just that due to the cuts [[and BTW, there have been several proposals to shutter Breigthaupt and Golightly completely) that these opportunities have only been available to a select few.

The only thing that seems to be new is the vegetable garden.

**Detroit_uke** · January-01-12, 11:57 AM

Chadsey High School was a Vocational School way back when...Culinary Arts Program, Beautician, Wood Shop, Automotive.......all gone!! All gone!!!

**Zacha341** · January-01-12, 12:22 PM

Oh yes Det_U! I'd forgotten about Chadsey's program. I think whatever DPS evolves into will have the CTE [[Career Tech Education) options within the HS schools as Murray and Chadsey did instead of the stand-alone Career Techs.

Originally Posted by Detroit_uke

Chadsey High School was a Vocational School way back when...Culinary Arts Program, Beautician, Wood Shop, Automotive.......all gone!! All gone!!!

**MidTownMs** · January-01-12, 12:31 PM

I did one year at Commerce High School[[adjacent to Cass Tech) before it was torn down to build the Fisher Freeway. We attended class [[typing, shorthand, office machines, etc. etc.) from 8-12 then after lunch we walked down the street and worked at Michigan Bell from 1-5.

**DetroitTeacher** · January-01-12, 12:51 PM

Many of my students would be lost without the Voc-Tech centers. The kids are pretty vocal about their merit and there being a necessity for such programming. Not all of my kids will attend a traditional college. The Voc-Tech centers do provide them with some career exploration choices and some very valid hands on experience in their chosen field.

I don't care if the Voc-Tech opportunities are in stand alone buildings or are in each school [[the stand alones serve a larger population for each program than the programs would get in each school). I think that without the programs available, many kids would give up [[think of our special needs population where traditional college is not even a choice for them because of the level of frustration they would face).

I think it's great that the kids and programs are getting some media exposure. Not many people know about the "open to the public" services offered by many of the Voc-Tech programs.

**Zacha341** · January-01-12, 01:53 PM

Well stated DT. I agree...

Originally Posted by DetroitTeacher

Many of my students would be lost without the Voc-Tech centers. The kids are pretty vocal about their merit and there being a necessity for such programming. Not all of my kids will attend a traditional college. The Voc-Tech centers do provide them with some career exploration choices and some very valid hands on experience in their chosen field.

....Many kids would give up [[think of our special needs population where traditional college is not even a choice for them because of the level of frustration they would face).

I think it's great that the kids and programs are getting some media exposure. Not many people know about the "open to the public" services offered by many of the Voc-Tech programs.

**firstandten** · January-01-12, 03:52 PM

I don't think people realize what a jewel DPS has in the career and technical education [[CTE) centers. At one time they had state of the art equipment and several students have gone on to become chiefs in big time restaurants from Golightly and Breithaupt. Mr. Bobb did not focus on the centers while he was the czar of the schools. I don't see Mr. Roberts doing it either. This would be an area that the current school board can focus on, and maybe they could become relevant again.

Lets face it many kids are not college material nor do they want to go to college. Therefore a CTE center would be the best option for them.