C-CAP competitions award nearly $3 million in scholarships

Student chefs from public high schools across the country showcased their talent during Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) Cooking Competitions for Scholarships. At these fast-paced, hands-on events, top chefs judged students on the preparation of two classic recipes prepared from memory in just two hours.

More than 190 teens walked away with scholarships--ranging in value from $500 to $88,596--to attend some of the most prestigious culinary schools and colleges in the country including the nationally recognized Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales University, New England Culinary Institute, The Art Institutes and Monroe College. Students also received scholarships to premier local colleges and culinary schools in the seven locations where C-CAP operates programs, plus cash awards to help defray the costs of books, supplies, housing and other expenses while at college. Knife kits by R.H. Forschner were also awarded.

In a statement following the event, C-CAP founder and president Richard Grausman said, “With the tough economic times, students now more than ever need all the help they can possibly get with financing their college education. We are grateful to our post-secondary partners, our contributors, local chefs and to all who help us help C-CAP scholarship winners take this life-changing path to a career in the food service industry. These supporters are making the scholarship program possible.”

C-CAP held the competitions and award ceremonies in seven locations this year including: New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Hampton Roads, Va.

The cooking competitions are the culmination of the year-long C-CAP program, which introduces students to new cuisines; teaches students basic cooking skills and techniques; and helps students find meaningful careers as chefs, restaurant managers and hotel administrators. For urban teenagers at risk of leaving high school without job or college prospects, C-CAP offers direction, a set of useful skills, scholarships and the potential for a fulfilling career in a growing industry.

Chef Uwe Toedter (left), president of Les Amis d’ Escoffier Society of New York, was a judge at the C-CAP New York Cooking Competition for Scholarships Awards Ceremony. He presented a scholarship from Les Amis d’ Escoffier Society of New York and a scholarship in his daughter’s name, Natalie Toedter. (Photo by Jerry Ruotolo)