What’s New: The Culinary Institute of America Culinary Academy, Powered by Envision

This past summer, we added a new dynamic to our program offerings by partnering with The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY to facilitate The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Culinary Academy. This six-day program provides students interested in the food world with an array of lessons and experiences to help them decide whether a culinary career path is for them and how to best chart their courses for success, regardless of the field they ultimately pursue.

Some of the areas that scholars explored at the CIA Culinary Academy include:

• Mise en place, which means everything in its place and demonstrates the importance of preparation and organization both professionally and in day-to-day life
• The Mediterranean diet, covering both regional ingredients and nutritional values
• Culinary outside of the kitchen, including a visit to a sustainable farm, on-campus gardens, and an apiary as well as discussions on the farm-to-table movement, culinary science and nutrition, colony collapse disorder (CCD), and more
• The business side of food management, such as costs and operations, marketing, menu development, and more

In addition to the culinary curriculum, scholars learned about their pre-program surveys to assess their strengths and discover how to best utilize their talents in the future. And, of course, it wouldn't be an Envision program without ample hands-on practice! Scholars spent hours in the CIA state-of-the-art kitchens, learning and practicing their knife skills, preparing and cooking meals suitable to the Mediterranean lifestyle, creating and baking treats, then filling and decorating their own pastries.

The program will be held again on the CIA campus next summer. To read more about the program, visit envisionexperience.com/culinary

"[My favorite part was] actually getting experience with the professional chefs in the kitchen. It felt so real and I feel like I was able to learn a lot just from working next to them."

-Chloe L, CIA Culinary Academy Alumna