By Steffen Klenk
It’s estimated that the average American spends over 400 hours in the kitchen during a typical year. For the culinary students at Absegami High School in Galloway, they’re not just preparing for potential careers in culinary arts, they’re also learning vital life skills to prepare them for everyday life. As culinary teacher Christina Martin explains, “Students can feed their family and friends, and if they ever go to college or work in a restaurant, they will have the skills.”
Stepping inside Absegami’s commercial kitchen for the first time gives you the feeling of being in a world-class restaurant. There are six stations, a combi oven to handle large dishes, two convection ovens, and a refrigerator freezer. Each station is equipped to handle prep and composting.
Students in Absegami’s culinary program go through three levels of culinary training. Art of Cooking is the basic skill level and teaches important life skills, safety, and sanitation. That is followed by Creative Cuisine, allowing students to take acquired skills to the next level, and Honors Culinary. Following honors, motivated students are given the opportunity to take culinary classes and earn credits at Atlantic Cape Community College.
Sustainability is a vital aspect of Absegami’s culinary program. Students have access to the school’s outdoor garden which, during peak season, provides fresh, homegrown produce like strawberries and blackberries, Swiss chard, kale, and herbs. On top of that, fresh eggs are provided by chickens on-site.
The garden has been in full use since the 2015-’16 school year, even during the summer, according to Ron Schmid, the school’s science program supervisor. “We have a coalition of students and teachers who come in once a week to maintain the garden,” Schmid said.
Also on school grounds is a greenhouse, where students plant seedlings in the spring and, as the weather breaks, plant them in their courtyard garden. Students will soon have access to an apple orchard, brought to the district thanks to a $10,000 grant between the school’s culinary and science departments.
The commercial grade kitchen and garden are all part of an ongoing effort to expand career opportunities. Both Absegami and Oakcrest received brand new kitchens and expanded their culinary programs to three teachers, while also expanding their wood technology program. Schmid says the program continues to grow.
“You see the need for career programs in the area,” he said. “Giving the kids more than just a college track is so important and needed in education.”
Outside of the classrooms, students can utilize their acquired skills to give back in the community. Nearly a dozen students collaborated with area restaurants and casinos at the Community Food Bank’s Night of 300,000 Meals back in April. Most recently, select students could be seen serving 160 individuals at the Salvation Army’s annual community dinner.
The district also provided Thanksgiving meals to neighbors in need, with students preparing the meals and staff and administrators delivering them. “Our kids are great with volunteering; they love doing this outside of school,” Schmid said.
With a strong collaboration between the school’s culinary and science programs, urban farming and agriculture, and various learning and volunteer opportunities through the local American Chef Federation (ACF) chapter, Absegami students aren’t just preparing for their future, they are learning valuable life skills.
“ACF has been really supportive of our program,” said Schmid. “It’s helped getting the kids to see what they’re doing, in the classroom, in real life.”
The school district also utilizes a food truck, shared with Oakcrest and Cedar Creek high schools, part of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District. Students assist in providing delicious meals to patrons at local community events all throughout South Jersey. The food truck recently made an appearance at Funny Farm Animal Rescue in Mays Landing where culinary students were busy creating vegan dishes with only the best and freshest ingredients, while also utilizing skills they have learned in the classroom.
To learn more about Absegami’s culinary program and most recent stories follow them on Instagram @AbsegamiCulinary.
Steffen Klenk is a photographer and multimedia journalist who enjoys capturing the eclectic moments of shore life. You may contact Steffen at shorelocalsteffen@gmail.com.
