LISD TECC-West culinary program becomes second in Texas with dual ACF accreditation

The culinary arts program at Lewisville ISD's Technology, Exploration and Career Center-West has been accredited by the American Culinary Federation in both Secondary Culinary Arts and Secondary Baking & Pastry, the district said in an Oct. 15 news post. The accreditation came July 1, and the district said only one other program in Texas holds both.

A restaurant run by students

One day a week, a multipurpose room at TECC-West becomes Café 3040, a restaurant that culinary students from high schools across the district run themselves, from the kitchen to the dining room. According to the district, students spend weeks settling on a theme, writing the menu and planning how guests will be served.

Chef Kenny Shier, who leads the culinary arts department, said the program is built to prepare students for jobs in hospitality.

"The one thing that we stress on a daily basis is professionalism and accountability," Shier said. "These kids can come out of this school and go right into the workforce, and that's kind of our goal here."

What accreditation adds

Shier said the recognition should let the program offer students more certifications.

"It gives us a lot of validity and tells us that we're doing the right things here," he said. "It's going to open up a lot of opportunities for our students."

The district said honors like this one helped it earn CTE District of Distinction status for a third year in a row, a designation that puts its career and technical education programs in the top 6% in Texas. Students from The Colony High School are among those in the program, according to the district's post.

LISD invited the public to eat at Café 3040 and said menus are posted on the restaurant's Facebook page.

Sources

lisd.net