Elk Grove Village may be best known for manufacturing pinball machines and high-tech equipment out of its nation’s-largest business park, but the town soon might be producing a new commodity: top chefs.
Village, business and educational leaders gathered Monday to celebrate the opening of a new, $1.6 million state-of-the-art culinary lab at Elk Grove High School.
Officials say the project, funded in part through a $750,000 grant from the village, transforms culinary education in Northwest Suburban High School District 214 by providing students with a learning environment that rivals professional kitchens.
“This has been an amazing process to go through, an amazing partnership with Elk Grove Village, who were instrumental in us being able to pull this off as part of our workforce development efforts and our work-based learning programs,” Elk Grove High Principal Paul Kelly said.
The 2,309-square-foot lab is outfitted with six gas ranges, commercial-grade ovens, mixers, dishwashers, griddles, and more. An adjacent classroom will host lessons and catering events for students to showcase their skills.
The culinary lab is tied to a curriculum change in District 214 that will combine the school’s business and entrepreneurship career pathway with the culinary arts pathway. That will allow students to learn all facets of operating a food-related business, from making meals to managing a restaurant to running a catering service.
Commercial-grade equipment fills the new, $1.6 million culinary lab opened Monday at Elk Grove High School.
Brian Hill/[email protected]
“This is the latest in the long line of events that have been evidence of great support from the District 214 Board of Education, the leadership of District 214 and Elk Grove Village to make sure that our kids get more than just a regular old education moving on to a same old cookie cutter, no pun intended, where everybody has to do the same four-year degree,” Kelly said.
Officials celebrate the opening of Elk Grove High School’s new, state-of-the-art culinary lab Monday. Pictured from left are Scott Rowe, superintendent of Northwest Suburban High School District 214; Elk Grove High School Principal Paul Kelly; School Board President Alva Kreutzer; senior Brittany Reyes; Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig B. Johnson; and other school board members.
Brian Hill/[email protected]
“Every kid has a unique pathway, and this kind of opportunity is evidence of our consistent efforts to give our kids the best possible outcomes, regardless of what their individual path might be,” he added.
District leaders said the new lab also allows for the program to grow, adding space for about 40 more students.
Besides Elk Grove High, District 214 includes Buffalo Grove, Hersey, Prospect, Rolling Meadows and Wheeling high schools.
It’s not the first time Elk Grove Village had made a sizable financial contribution to boost the high school’s technical education programs. The village previously provided a $500,000 grant to help fund the renovation of the school’s advanced manufacturing lab and develop microinternship program with local businesses.
Northwest Suburban High School District 214 board member Frank Fiarito and Elk Grove High School senior Brittany Reyes, 17, make cookies in the school’s new, state-of-the-art culinary lab.
Brian Hill/[email protected]