The Culinary Trust’s Scholarship & Grant Program Expands

Deadline Extended to March 15, 2012 — The Culinary Trust has been offering scholarships to both entering culinary students and continuing education for culinary professionals since it’s inception, more than 25 years ago.  The culinary profession has changed dramatically over the years.  Back in 1984, when The Culinary Trust was born as the Cooking Advancement Research and Education Foundation, there was an emphasis on setting standards for culinary professionals.  While IACP created the Certified Culinary Professional, The Culinary Trust focused on scholarships that would give culinary professionals the skills needed to meet the CCP standards.  Providing skills, setting standards, and creating recognition for our profession was essential for the industry.

Fast forward, and the industry has arrived – with several different television channels devoted full time to food, numerous other channels include food programming as part of their regular lineup.  Alice Waters’ message has spread across the United States with farmers markets and local food on the center of the plate.  Vocational culinary education is seen as a legitimate career path for high school graduates and chefs around the world are lauded as celebrities.

With the heightened focus on food, the lens has also shifted to where our food comes from, how we eat and the relationship between food and health.  Farmers are taking center stage next to celebrity chefs and organics has taken a huge leap out of the health food store and into the supermarket, reaching more than $26 billions in annual sales.

What does this mean for The Culinary Trust?  For entering culinary students, the need for financial assistance to attend culinary school has never been greater – tuition is up, income is down and the credit crunch has caused a severe contraction in student loan programs.

For culinary professionals, there is an emphasis on how our profession impacts the greater world around us.  Food production has been singled out as a leading cause of global warming, pesticides once thought safe are now considered health risks, and processed foods have been implicated in an obesity epidemic among children.  The culinary community has been forced to look at the health and environmental implications that relate to what we cook and eat.  The Culinary Trust has expanded its scholarship opportunities to address these concerns.

For the first time, the program includes internships for culinary professionals that will provide knowledge and skills so that culinary professionals can make a difference in the world of food.  Seven hands-on internships are available, many with stipends and/or housing, designed for established culinary professionals. Click here for more detailed descriptions. Click here for information on the application. Deadline March 15, 2012.