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Spicing up futures: Chef Tawana and TeenWorks serve up Culinary Bootcamp

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Ten-hut! Drop and give me twenty, soldiers! Not twenty push-ups! Twenty sliced onions! Now make it thirty!

Chef Tawana M. Gulley partnered up with TeenWorks to provide 36 highschoolers with hands-on learning at their Culinary Arts Bootcamp. Four days per week at the AMP at 16 Tech, the bootcamp provided students with six weeks of training from June 5 through July 12.

The partnership between Gulley and TeenWorks began last year at the first culinary bootcamp. Hosting 36 students this year, the bootcampā€™s mission is to empower young students to work hard and have entrepreneurial spirit.

students at a culinary bootcamp taste test lemonade
Students at the bootcamp taste test the lemonade they made. (Photo/Tawana M. Gulley)

ā€œOur goal is to not only help them figure out what they want to do as far as a career and/or college, but we’re really big on having a community for students,ā€ said Dieria Moore, director of summer programs at TeenWorks. ā€œFor a majority of our students, this is their first job, which is really cool because it’s kind of a structured way to introduce students to the workforce.ā€

Gulley is the founder and executive chef of Healthy Soul, a restaurant in the AMP that specializes in pesticide-free and organic foods. The menu is a mix of African and Asian influences and features hibachi-style grilling and bowls.

Dedicated to bringing a healthy lifestyle to her community, Gulley formed the culinary bootcamp with the aid of TeenWorks.

ā€œI just use my passion for food,ā€ Gulley said. ā€œI felt like if it was anything that I had to offer them, it would be that, because I love it so much. I just kind of took them under my wing.ā€

The partnership meant that the bootcamp was formed, but there was still a need for a space. Thatā€™s where 16 Tech and their vendors came in.

ā€œThe first year, I think they were kind of skeptical, but I knew what it could be,ā€ Gulley said. ā€œI knew it was going to be something much bigger. So, they gave me the opportunity, and we just kind of ran with it.ā€

a variety of salad and bowls on display
Examples of the food made by the Culinary Arts Bootcamp students. (Photo/Tawana M. Gulley)

This yearā€™s bootcamp was a great success, according to Moore and Gulley, who believe the camp does more than just spark entrepreneurial spirit.

ā€œI think it’s been super fun, and the students eat very well while they’re there,ā€ Moore said.  ā€œBut also getting some of that customer service experience, building up their social skills, learning about food sustainability in the community, as well as entrepreneurship.ā€

Some students are recruited by Moore, who visits local high schools and speaks with guidance counselors to pick students they believe the program could help. Others are chosen directly by Gulley. Regardless of how they got there,  all students work together at the bootcamp. During the program, they cover topics such as basic culinary skills, financial literacy, food scarcity, customer service, food origin and food handling.

ā€œWhat (the program) consists of is basically, we touch on basic culinary art skills like knife training, how to read a recipe, customer service and food handling,ā€ Gulley said. ā€œAnd then what we do is in each in each course or each step, we have a target speaker.ā€

The target speaker is a professional who comes in to speak to the students about topics in the curriculum. Entrepreneurs spoke about business, professional photographers spoke about food photography, chefs came in to speak about the food industry and bankers spoke on financial literacy.

ā€œThe kids are getting a full all-around experience, but the end goal is for them to plant the seed for entrepreneurship,ā€ Gulley said. ā€œThat’s our real goal.ā€

The program is free. Students who participate are also provided lunch and paid $8-10/hour depending on their tenure at the camp. TeenWorks  implements transportation and bonus incentives towards their barrier-breaking initiatives to encourage everyone to participate.

ā€œWe pick up at local high schools and centers around the city, depending on the demographic of our program,ā€ Moore said. ā€œWe give them uniforms. We also feed them lunch every day that they’re here throughout the program, so that’s another barrier, and then they get paid.ā€

Students who participate in the program will often come back and become supervisors and leaders within the group, building upon the foundation of entrepreneurship the camp seeks to establish. The goals for the future of the Culinary Arts Bootcamp are bright. Both Moore and Gulley aim to bring the camp to the community year-round and to expand the program so more students can be involved.  While the camp hopes to expand their reach and establish their own space, Gulley and Moore are happy to be a part of the community and change the lives of the students they work with.

ā€œI’m so happy that we’ve gotten such a wonderful mix of kids, and that we’re able to simultaneously incorporate the 16 Tech space,ā€ Gulley said. ā€œI want to make sure I acknowledge the small village that makes it possible for the kids to come into the space and give them hands-on experience.ā€

ā€˜Each one, teach oneā€™: Healthy Soul chef partners with Teen Works – Indianapolis Recorder

To order food from healthy soul, visit healthysoulindy.com; to help fund next yearā€™s camp, visit Healthy Soulā€™s Instagram (@healthy_soul_indy); and to learn more about TeenWorks and their mission to inspire youth, visit teenworks.org.

Contact Health & Environmental reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.

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