Written by: Abby de Riel

After an impactful first year of our Chef in the Schools (CITS) initiative, a Menu Development, Chef Training, and Education program, in partnership with the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) and the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, we are introducing a new component, suggested by Wellness in the Schools (WITS) Chef Rob Tinelli. Chef Rob noted a need for deeper connections between WITS Chefs and OFNS Cooks in Charge (CIC) and for additional up-front skills-based training for school cooks, especially those that won’t receive CITS training until late in the 2024-25 school year.

Given the collaborative and innovative approach at WITS, Chef Rob approached Executive Director Nancy Easton and said, “I want the CICs to have an opportunity to meet us before we get into their kitchens … a chance for them to learn about us and for us to learn about them, as well.”

Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, WITS rolled out an exciting new initiative in partnership with OFNS called Mini CookCamp. The new program was based on the success of the WITS signature training and development program, CookCamp, an intensive, up-front training for school cooks. CookCamp works on a district level, including hands-on follow-up training and ongoing network support. The Mini CookCamp is a 3-hour, bite-sized version of CookCamp, honing in on essential skills necessary to cook from scratch.

The first Mini CookCamp kicked off with the September rotation. “It was received even better than I had hoped,” Chef Rob notes. “My fellow chefs, and I, had such an overwhelmingly positive experience. As did the CICs. We all learned from one another. The best way to express the success of the training is to share what the cooks asked excitedly at the end of the session: ‘When will I be getting a WITS Chef in my kitchen?’”

During each Mini CookCamp, school cooks hone critical techniques for preparing meals from scratch, such as mise en place, scaling, ingredient substitution, waste minimization, and time management. In true WITS fashion, they also engage in workshops to better understand the why of our work together to feed kids delicious and real food. 

Chef Erin Mallare had the opportunity to teach two of the Mini CookCamp sessions alongside Chef Rob. She said, “Being able to work with school cooks at the Mini CookCamps has been eye-opening – I think it offers an informative experience that both uplifts the cooks and helps to refine useful tools and skills for the kitchen. There is a major takeaway for both school cooks and WITS Chefs to share strategies and problem-solving tactics with one another. I truly believe that this type of workshop is a great resource for cultivating community.”

Initial feedback from cooks who attended the first Mini CookCamp in September has been overwhelmingly positive, with 95 percent of participants reporting that they felt confident sharing new tips and best practices with their kitchen team. Moving forward, a Mini CookCamp will take place once a month in a different borough throughout the school year until all OFNS Cooks in Charge receive the training.