The Sutter County Superintendent of Schools Tri-County Regional Occupational Program is constantly looking for new and up-to-date ways to ensure that students have access to the best facilities possible to learn their trade or skill. SCSOS ROP Culinary Programs are popular with the region’s high school students. The program provides a top-notch culinary instructor who partners with local chefs in the area to teach students the culinary arts. One challenge the program experienced was that many of the local high schools don’t have a kitchen that can be used for this program. This is where local culinary advisory board member John Nicoletti stepped in. He mentioned the food truck/trailer trend among food vendors and suggested that SCSOS invest in one of these for local high school students participating in the culinary program.

SCSOS Assistant Superintendent of College and Career Readiness Eric Pomeroy understood the value of this investment and applied for a federal Stream Grant. He acquired the grant, and with part of these funds was able to purchase a state-of-the-art food trailer to use in the culinary programs.

This food trailer will be used in a variety of ways for local students, as well as for the community as a whole:

• The mobility of the trailer will provide access to the culinary programs to students at all local high schools, including school sites with no kitchen
• The trailer will be more inclusive of special populations as well as partnerships with Sutter County One Stop and Adult Education
• The trailer will strengthen culinary pathways at the high schools and Yuba Community College
• The trailer will provide career exploration for middle school students
• The trailer will help students learn entrepreneurship skills as well as culinary skills
• The trailer will bring community stakeholders and students together
• The trailer will be used for special events within the community
• SCSOS will provide the food trailer for disaster relief and partner with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Red Cross, Hands of Hope, etc.
• Culinary classes held in the trailer will showcase local chefs
• Culinary classes will showcase ethnic foods, broadening the knowledge students have of other cultures
• Students will be taught how to strengthen their “soft skills”
• Students will learn creativity, professionalism, marketing, profit/loss margins and how to manage inventories
• Students who successfully complete the culinary program will earn an industry-based certification in culinary arts

The goal of this program is to ensure that students who have an interest in a culinary career will be prepared for an entry-level position in a restaurant when the program is completed. Sutter County Superintendent of Schools is committed to providing career pathways for students in the tri-county area. SCSOS Tri-County ROP Programs are expanding to include many pathways, just one of which is the culinary program.