Every February, the CTE community celebrates CTE Month® to raise awareness of the role that CTE has in readying learners for college and career success. CTE Month is also a time to recognize and celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of our CTE partners at the local, state and national level.
This month, we turn the reins over to Mrs. Breanne Lynch, CTE Coordinator for the District, who will interview our CTSO advisors and student leaders. Today's episode features HHS's ProStart Program. Joining us are:
Every February, the CTE community celebrates CTE Month® to raise awareness of the role that CTE has in readying learners for college and career success. CTE Month is also a time to recognize and celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of our CTE partners at the local, state and national level.
This month, we turn the reins over to Mrs. Breanne Lynch, CTE Coordinator for the District, who will interview our CTSO advisors and student leaders. Today's episode features HHS's ProStart Program. Joining us are:
Transcript
00:00:03 JoAnne
We're giving you more than just the 411. This is the Harrisburg 412 podcast coming to you from Southern Sioux Falls and Harrisburg, SD.
00:00:23 JoAnne
Welcome back to our third in a series of episodes this month celebrating career and technical education in the Harrisburg School District.
00:00:31 JoAnne
Today's episode features our ProStart program.
00:00:35 JoAnne
Once again, this week, we'll turn it over to CDC, coordinator for the Harrisburg School District, Mrs.
00:00:40 JoAnne
Brianne Lynch.
00:00:42 Breanne
Welcome back to another Harrisburg High School CTS O podcast.
00:00:46 Breanne
We are really excited to have the ProStart crew joining us today.
00:00:49 Breanne
I'll have you go around and introduce yourselves to our audience.
00:00:52 Alexis
I'm Alexis Roush.
00:00:54 Alexis
I'm a high school senior and a member of Pro Star.
00:00:57 Alexis
I'm also a culinary 3 intern.
00:01:00 Alexandra
I am Alexandera Weitzman.
00:01:01 Speaker 4
I'm also a high school senior, also a member of ProStart and a Culinary 3 intern.
00:01:05 Deb
Deb Rombough I'm the ProStart advisor, HHS, Hospitality and tourism CTE teacher I teach culinary arts.
00:01:13 Breanne
Right, so the looming question in the room.
00:01:16 Breanne
Is what is ProStart?
00:01:18 Alexis
So ProStart is essentially the culinary and hospitality and tourism kind of industry.
00:01:24 Alexis
We kind of dig more into the culinary arts side, so like.
00:01:29 Alexis
The different foods, knife cuts and different kind of plating techniques that you see at restaurants.
00:01:33 Alexis
We also do a little bit of the baking and pastry side with like your cakes, your kind of pastries like cheesecake and what else have we done?
00:01:44 Alexis
Pastries and just kind of different little baked goods and kind of different of some of the different topics that are within the hub of culinary.
00:01:53 Breanne
Arts, so it's basically the fun part of hospitality and tourism, correct?
00:01:58 Deb
An extension of the culinary classroom.
00:02:01 Speaker 4
We also go into hospitality and management stuff where we go through we do different catering events for such things such as the Chamber.
00:02:09 Speaker 4
We've done different events, different schools, and we plan our own stuff.
00:02:14 Speaker 4
We learned about how to manage like restaurants and how to do ordering.
00:02:19 Speaker 4
And just like all the numbers, busy stuff.
00:02:21 Breanne
To all the bookwork too.
00:02:23 Breanne
Oh yeah so not just cooking and baking also all of finance, marketing, ordering that type of.
00:02:27 Speaker 4
Thing all of it's equally important.
00:02:29 Breanne
I just like the eating.
00:02:31 Deb
Me too.
00:02:32 Breanne
OK, as long as we're on the same page there.
00:02:34 Breanne
OK, so how would one get involved in ProStart?
00:02:38 Breanne
Do I need to take a class?
00:02:39 Breanne
Is it just a club?
00:02:41 Breanne
How do I become a member?
00:02:42 Breanne
Of ProStart.
00:02:43 Deb
So basically at Harrisburg High School you would take as a 10th through 12 learner.
00:02:48 Deb
You would get enrolled in the culinary arts class as a member of the class.
00:02:54 Deb
You are automatically a member of ProStart.
00:02:56 Deb
There's no extra fee or cost or anything associated with that.
00:03:00 Deb
With that just comes opportunities with the ProStart side.
00:03:04 Deb
So as Alex was saying, you could help.
00:03:08 Deb
We've done the FFA banquet before right where we've hosted that we go and do learner interest days at the elementary where we put on programs we've helped at the Chamber Christmas event.
00:03:21 Deb
We kind of just dip into a lot of different areas, but it's an extension of the classroom so you can be as involved as you want in the ProStart side.
00:03:30 Deb
But basically you're learning it all in the classroom and then now it's your your opportunity to basically show and tell.
00:03:37 Breanne
OK, so with that curriculum, are there tests or their certifications?
00:03:41 Breanne
Are there industry?
00:03:43 Breanne
Grade certifications that benefit me along the way?
00:03:46 Breanne
Or is it just a lot?
00:03:46 Speaker 4
Of busy work certification, I would highly recommend your ServSafe certification manager.
00:03:51 Speaker 4
Definitely recommend it, because then you can go out do these catering events and just you know your safety, your sanitation like they know you know your stuff we automatically do.
00:04:00 Deb
That the the coursework and culinary level one.
00:04:04 Deb
So your first year it's a year long class you you automatically do the work.
00:04:08 Deb
We can also offer you the opportunity to test for that five year certification right here at Harrisburg High School.
00:04:15 Deb
There's a small fee.
00:04:16 Deb
We also help pay for that and it's a great opportunity.
00:04:21 Deb
You have that certification for five years and you're ready to go in the industry.
00:04:24 Breanne
OK, so are you both certified?
00:04:25 Speaker 4
I am yes.
00:04:27 Breanne
What was the most challenging part of obtaining that certification?
00:04:31 Speaker 4
With the test you just gotta go with the flow.
00:04:33 Speaker 4
Remember, hey, I know this.
00:04:36 Speaker 4
You don't overthink it.
00:04:37 Speaker 4
Don't try to overanalyze it.
00:04:39 Speaker 4
Just go through your knowledge, feel confident about your test.
00:04:42 Speaker 4
Remember what you.
00:04:43 Deb
Know and I think I think students need to realize too, that it's a national certification.
00:04:47 Deb
It's not just something that everybody can get, it's actually 80 questions.
00:04:51 Deb
Long it's very detailed, and it's it's restaurant.
00:04:56 Deb
It's industry certified industry certification, so it's not easy, right?
00:05:01 Deb
It takes some dedication to do well on this test.
00:05:04 Breanne
And we know that all sure and we know that all CTE areas have high stakes testing right in the healthcare area.
00:05:09 Breanne
There's CNA testing there is AWS certifications for welders and in this area they're serve safe certifications for people in culinary arts.
00:05:16 Breanne
So it's good to practice that right in a classroom setting with the curriculum piece and then be able to take that exam here and earn that certification.
00:05:23 Breanne
So can you talk a little bit about your partnership with the like?
00:05:26 Breanne
The South Dakota Retailers Association and how those things work in conjunction with ProStart.
00:05:30 Deb
So in South Dakota, our arm of ProStart for lack of a better term.
00:05:36 Deb
Is on the South Dakota retailers.
00:05:38 Deb
It kind of depends on which state you're in and they are the person that they're our go to so they help us with grant funding for our programs.
00:05:46 Deb
They promote us, have to brag a little bit, but we were just recognized in the December January issue of the South Dakota Retailers magazine.
00:05:53 Breanne
We'll link that in the show notes awesome.
00:05:56 Deb
So that's pretty amazing, but they're basically our go to they help us with our.
00:06:00 Deb
They run our state competition.
00:06:03 Deb
Which is held in peer in March.
00:06:06 Deb
So anything that we need I also can get all of my ServSafe manager materials ordered through them as well.
00:06:13 Speaker 4
For the peer competition, the South Dakota Retails Association awards the different skills.
00:06:18 Speaker 4
I actually got the Knife Skills award from that association so they do offer awards.
00:06:22 Speaker 4
The certain skill sets during competition.
00:06:24 Breanne
So what did you have to do, Alex to earn that?
00:06:26 Speaker 4
Award so with the Knife Skills award.
00:06:29 Speaker 4
Basically I had to demonstrate a good understanding.
00:06:31 Speaker 4
Good grasp of like my knife skills.
00:06:34 Speaker 4
I demonstrate proficiency with using my knives.
00:06:36 Breanne
OK, hold on.
00:06:37 Breanne
For for the audience it may be listening.
00:06:39 Breanne
When you say knife skills.
00:06:41 Breanne
It's not like Ninja nunchuck skills.
00:06:44 Breanne
What are?
00:06:44 Breanne
Yeah, what are you doing with these knives in the culinary setting?
00:06:48 Breanne
What are what are you having to demonstrate?
00:06:50 Speaker 4
So usually we have to do our consistent cuts.
00:06:53 Speaker 4
We have to know different kinds of cuts like our Julianne cubes shifting on just all of our basic cuts.
00:07:00 Speaker 4
We have to know that we can perform them well consistently.
00:07:02 Speaker 4
You have to have a good hold on your knife.
00:07:04 Speaker 4
You have to know how to hold your knives.
00:07:05 Speaker 4
The different kinds of knives.
00:07:06 Deb
You just got to know what knife for what knife skills are really important in the culinary industry.
00:07:11 Deb
Number one for quality.
00:07:12 Deb
Control and for costing.
00:07:15 Deb
Right, it's a.
00:07:17 Deb
You have people coming through the door all the time, right? I'm only going to work a certain shift and then the next person's coming in so we don't want to lose money because I might dice my potatoes twice as large as you do, right?
00:07:29 Deb
So it it's a costing and an organization and an ordering standpoint, but it's also a plating and presentation aspect, right?
00:07:37 Deb
Because we want things.
00:07:39 Deb
To to look a certain way right and to be industry ready.
00:07:42 Deb
So it's not just.
00:07:44 Deb
It's not just one piece of it, but it's very important.
00:07:47 Breanne
All right, so I know you both have different areas of interest, right?
00:07:50 Breanne
We've got sort of a baking and pastry person, and we've got more of a cooking person.
00:07:54 Breanne
The chef side of of culinary arts.
00:07:57 Breanne
So can you both speak maybe a little bit to your interest areas and why you maybe have have been successful in those areas?
00:08:04 Alexis
And why you're drawn to them so?
00:08:05 Alexis
I'm interested in the baking and pastry side.
00:08:08 Alexis
I've just kind of always really liked and enjoyed baking.
00:08:11 Alexis
I've kind of.
00:08:13 Alexis
Tried and tested different recipes I really enjoy.
00:08:15 Breanne
OK, hold on, you haven't just liked baking.
00:08:19 Breanne
You're a two time South Dakota gingerbread house champion if I'm correct.
00:08:25 Breanne
OK, so so Lexi's being modest, but she is a culinary confectionery rock star in the state, so I interrupted.
00:08:34 Breanne
But I had to make sure our viewers and our listeners know that you are a culinary confectionery genius.
00:08:42 Alexis
I wouldn't say genius.
00:08:44 Alexis
I really I really enjoy like seeing things online that like really inspire me.
00:08:50 Alexis
And then I like trying to recreate them and I happen to be very.
00:08:53 Alexis
Good at that.
00:08:54 Alexis
Not everybody is even when it came to drawing or sketching.
00:08:59 Alexis
I could look at a photo online and then recreate it.
00:09:03 Alexis
I kind of do the same thing.
00:09:04 Alexis
With baking and pastry just kind of in my own way, I really enjoy doing cakes.
00:09:08 Alexis
I've done a lot of cakes, there's been a lot of trial and error because there's so many different ways that you can take it, and I think that's also why I like baking and pastry so much because there.
00:09:19 Alexis
Just so many different subcategories you can go into and so many different little things, you can try that are sweets related.
00:09:27 Alexis
So I don't know, it's just there's such a broad category and so many different things that you can try.
00:09:33 Alexis
I mean, I also really like sweets so.
00:09:36 Alexis
It's kind of hard to go.
00:09:37 Breanne
Wrong there, Alex.
00:09:38 Breanne
Why cooking?
00:09:39 Breanne
Why are you more interested in that area for cooking.
00:09:42 Speaker 4
I really love like the creativity and the freedom with baking.
00:09:45 Speaker 4
You've got to have lot of attention to detail which Alexis is phenomenal at.
00:09:50 Speaker 4
But like with cooking, you got a little more freedom.
00:09:52 Speaker 4
You can experiment a little more.
00:09:53 Speaker 4
You can get into like the hey I want to substitute this instead of this you could add to it. You could take away.
00:09:59 Breanne
It's more like Hells kitchen situation.
00:10:00 Deb
Yeah, a little less science, a little less science.
00:10:01 Breanne
OK, yeah.
00:10:03 Speaker 4
A little more.
00:10:04 Speaker 4
Of the arts.
00:10:04 Deb
OK, I think what's been great for these girls with ProStart is that especially as like interns and culinary 2 students they come in, we can kind of block the time that works for them and they get to.
00:10:17 Deb
They get to create.
00:10:18 Deb
They get to experiment.
00:10:20 Deb
We are looking at adding some pretty cool technology with a cookie printer coming up in our department and that's going to be theirs to say, hey, let's let's see how this works.
00:10:29 Deb
Let's see what we can do with this.
00:10:32 Deb
The freedom is kind of there.
00:10:34 Deb
Sometimes we get things thrown at us.
00:10:35 Deb
Like OK, the Chamber wants desserts.
00:10:38 Deb
What do you guys want to make?
00:10:39 Deb
What will work?
00:10:40 Deb
Makes sense.
00:10:40 Deb
What can we do within the budget that we?
00:10:42 Deb
And it's an opportunity for them to just kind of have this palette that is theirs to design.
00:10:48 Breanne
Sure, so there's a lot of community impact and ways to sort of benefit.
00:10:52 Breanne
Serve the community in different aspects.
00:10:54 Breanne
I know we've been part of optimist giving and chamber events and other things and then with the roaster give back.
00:10:59 Breanne
We know that ProStart is a big part of the Roar Stores existence.
00:11:02 Breanne
So can you speak to maybe your roles inside of the CTE Roar Store and then maybe some of the community events you've been able to be a part of?
00:11:09 Speaker 4
So for the Roar Store I help with putting out products.
00:11:14 Speaker 4
I help with training baristas.
00:11:15 Speaker 4
I am a barista in the Roar Store.
00:11:18 Speaker 4
I help with teaching other people like what to do in the store.
00:11:21 Speaker 4
I help with the point-of-sale system.
00:11:23 Speaker 4
I kind of help float around and do an 11 needs to be done.
00:11:28 Alexis
I pretty much do everything else Alex does.
00:11:30 Alexis
I just sometimes pretend to do more because that's just me.
00:11:35 Alexis
I like diving into the deep end and finding.
00:11:38 Alexis
Figuring out if I.
00:11:38 Breanne
Can swim and your senior project.
00:11:40 Breanne
Though you invented a smoothie right that is sold to the roaster.
00:11:44 Alexis
Yeah, for my senior project I actually sat down and created a barista training, so every barista was getting the same training so everybody knew the same knowledge so that we were all making drinks the same.
00:11:56 Alexis
Along with that, I made a smoothie that we.
00:11:59 Alexis
Now sell at the Roar.
00:12:00 Alexis
Store as just kind of a slightly different drink, but also one that you see around school all the time.
00:12:06 Alexis
There's always you stop in somebody's hand around here. I also helped make a lot of the oatmeal bites. I tend to miss them more than I fully make them.
00:12:17 Alexis
I also make parfaits almost every morning, so it just really depends on what's needed for the day.
00:12:23 Deb
And I should.
00:12:24 Deb
I should preface that by saying we were able to acquire a lot of our breast equipment through a Rachel Ray ProStart Grant go grant that we received a couple of years ago and then we have partnered with CAFEA.
00:12:37 Deb
Who has been?
00:12:38 Deb
They have been absolutely amazing and they come in and help us with our barista training as well.
00:12:42 Breanne
OK, so we've been visiting about the Ctte Roar Store and it sounds like there's a lot of industry grade equipment.
00:12:47 Breanne
How did the program acquire some?
00:12:48 Breanne
Of those things.
00:12:49 Deb
So we've been really fortunate we were the our barista equipment.
00:12:54 Deb
Kind of came to be.
00:12:55 Deb
We were able to write and receive a Rachel Ray GoProStart grant a couple of years ago and that really got us going.
00:13:04 Deb
Our goal was to allow students to get some real hands on experience and have some some specific industry training.
00:13:11 Deb
So being a barista in the area that we live and there's so many jobs for our students.
00:13:16 Deb
And that's been it's just expanded from there.
00:13:18 Deb
So with that grant we reached out to CAFEA in Sioux Falls and they have been an amazing partner.
00:13:26 Deb
We they provide us with all Coffea product and our goal is that you don't know the difference if you come to our store or you go downtown, you're going to get the same quality.
00:13:35 Deb
That's really what we want out of our baristas.
00:13:38 Deb
And I think we've been able to achieve that to a pretty high level.
00:13:41 Deb
We also wanted to be somewhat mobile, so when we put our ideas together, we put our coffee.
00:13:47 Deb
Our all of our equipment is on a cart, so for example we're able to provide product during events like the.
00:13:55 Deb
Car show that we that we do here at HHS through the automotive program in the spring we have goals of some more events we would like to host a get into some of the barista art and have some challenges and things like that for our students.
00:14:12 Deb
So I think it sky’s the limit? Yeah, you hear that.
00:14:15 Breanne
Coffea we're calling you let's go let's do this coffee art situation, Dan.
00:14:18 Deb
Dan, Dan knows.
00:14:20 Breanne
Please follow up.
00:14:24 Deb
So those have been some amazing opportunities for our students.
00:14:28 Breanne
Lexi, do you want to speak maybe a little bit about? Maybe the Chamber annual meeting and catering such large events of you know, making 300 plus desserts for any given experience.
00:14:38 Alexis
We start researching just a little bit.
00:14:39 Alexis
We kind of talked with the company that hired us.
00:14:43 Alexis
In this case, it's generally the Chamber that we've done such big events for and we kind of work with them and see what they are looking for.
00:14:51 Alexis
And then we go on to the Internet.
00:14:53 Alexis
We find recipes that we think will.
00:14:54 Alexis
Work we do a test.
00:14:56 Alexis
Batch before we actually start.
00:14:58 Alexis
Making them in bulk.
00:15:00 Alexis
This last December we made about 200 mini cheesecakes and a couple of sauces to go with. So it was kind of just a production process so seeing how everything was kind of made you just kind of kept making one after the other as if you were like in a restaurant doing the same thing.
00:15:19 Breanne
Yeah, now mini cheesecake sounds achievable.
00:15:22 Breanne
I think you know, in our industrial kitchen that seems possible, but you also made fifty pies if I'm correct.
00:15:27 Alexis
Yes, that took a little bit more effort.
00:15:30 Alexis
We had to involve our culinary 2 program.
00:15:33 Alexis
It was kind of a few bumps in the road to get things to be all consistent all around.
00:15:39 Alexis
But essentially we made everything from scratch except for most of the some of the pie filling, just because it would have been very hard on such short time to get all of that done.
00:15:50 Alexis
But between, with the help of our culinary 2 kids, we were able to make all of the crust from scratch and then get them baked and ready for the.
00:16:01 Breanne
Yeah yeah, transporting 50 pies across town for optimist giving is no joke.
00:16:06 Breanne
That was super.
00:16:06 Breanne
Fun that.
00:16:07 Deb
And I think the biggest challenge for us is that you know what what industry has that we don't have is like you have your worker come in and they can work till it's done.
00:16:14 Deb
We have bells and other classes and after school activities so a lot of my students come in before school.
00:16:21 Deb
They give time after school they give time during their zones, et cetera.
00:16:25 Deb
It's really is a.
00:16:26 Deb
It's something you you know you have to love and it's but I have been really fortunate to have kids that are really committed and excited.
00:16:33 Breanne
Yeah, so we actually had somebody new join us.
00:16:35 Breanne
This is Lea Lea being sort of an up-and-coming ProStart student and hearing about optimist giving the chamber annual meeting.
00:16:41 Breanne
All these catering opportunities and your experience working in the Roar Store, what are you most excited about as the program continues to grow?
00:16:48 Speaker 6
I'm really excited about going to the competitions and I'm hoping to do either the management team or cake decorating.
00:16:55 Speaker 6
Next year I am kind of sad to see Lexie and Alex go away because.
00:17:00 Breanne
Not go away, just graduate.
00:17:01 Speaker 6
I know I won't have them as mentors, but we've grown up on so it's I'm really excited to work with my mother in the kitchen and just see amazing opportunities.
00:17:12 Speaker 6
Grow out of this.
00:17:13 Breanne
Yeah, Miss Robert, did you ever think we'd get here?
00:17:15 Breanne
Did you ever think the culinary arts program at Harrisburg High School would be what it is today from?
00:17:19 Breanne
You know working part time at South and the high school and now being in a full-fledged industrial kitchen.
00:17:24 Breanne
Did you think this day?
00:17:25 Deb
Was ever going to get here?
00:17:26 Deb
Not really.
00:17:27 Deb
I was excited about the opportunity and we just kind of jumped in.
00:17:30 Deb
You know feet first.
00:17:32 Deb
And went for it I think.
00:17:33 Deb
It's it is beyond my wildest dreams of what we could have done and I.
00:17:37 Deb
Know that we've.
00:17:38 Deb
Really just.
00:17:39 Deb
It's the tip of the iceberg, so I'm excited to see where the program goes.
00:17:44 Deb
I've been really fortunate to have some students that have been go getters.
00:17:49 Deb
You know, movers and shakers and Lexi and Alex are perfect example of that.
00:17:54 Deb
They have.
00:17:55 Deb
I'm going to be sad to see them go, but they're going to go into this career field.
00:17:58 Deb
They have mentored so many students below.
00:18:00 Deb
Them, and I think that's that's what's going to carry us, and it's really important is, you know, I just couldn't be more proud.
00:18:09 Breanne
So yeah, I think it's in a great spot.
00:18:11 Breanne
I think the one thing that people have visited about a little bit is in need for more mentors, right?
00:18:15 Breanne
Especially mentor chefs.
00:18:16 Breanne
And we've had some great partners in the community.
00:18:19 Breanne
You've talked about cafea plum cooking.
00:18:21 Breanne
A couple of other organizations that really have supported and developed a program along the way, but what are you in need of right now?
00:18:26 Deb
Yeah, mentor chefs are huge people that are willing to professionals that are willing to come in and give up, and that's hard give of their time and their energy and their expertise because it takes the IT takes a program to a whole nother level.
00:18:39 Deb
Just like when I got the industrial kitchen chef, chef Nick Sky Ski got us started like he jumped in a few.
00:18:47 Deb
Years ago
00:18:48 Breanne
Chef Nick Chef Allen all my cupcakes.
00:18:50 Breanne
They were there at the beginning, right?
00:18:51 Deb
All of them and really made it a legitimate experience for my students.
00:18:56 Deb
And that was a huge draw and I learned so much as a new teacher in in this program, even though it's where my background is.
00:19:05 Deb
I hadn't, you know, I had some experience in the industry.
00:19:08 Deb
But teaching out of an industrial kitchen, it's one thing to work in it.
00:19:13 Deb
It's another.
00:19:13 Deb
To have 18 students, every class period, and to really make sure that they're getting full benefit.
00:19:19 Breanne
Of it, yeah, I hear you in there.
00:19:20 Breanne
We all do dishes, we all help everybody.
00:19:21 Breanne
's part of a.
00:19:22 Breanne
Yeah, it's true of a restaurant, correct?
00:19:24 Breanne
Lexie, I mean.
00:19:25 Alexis
Yeah, everybody works together to get the job done.
00:19:28 Deb
And that's our attitude is it's an industrial.
00:19:31 Deb
It's an industrial kitchen.
00:19:33 Deb
It is a when you're in my class.
00:19:36 Deb
You're in the workplace like we treat it like you're in the industry.
00:19:40 Deb
So that means clothing.
00:19:41 Deb
That means attitude.
00:19:42 Deb
That means workload because we want those students to be work ready.
00:19:47 Breanne
Sure, we've talked about like our high school program a lot, and then we know that we have some middle school programs that articulate up to our high school programs.
00:19:53 Breanne
So what about our little tigers and our little?
00:19:55 Breanne
Learners what's available.
00:19:56 Deb
For them, so for example, obviously our middle schools have programs and they have some pre culinary experiences, as will the freshman Academy.
00:20:05 Deb
My students go over and do like learner Interest day we're doing one tomorrow and we're actually going to do some some pretty fun stuff.
00:20:12 Deb
Do you want to talk about that for a second.
00:20:15 Alexis
So tomorrow we are going to go do a kids charcuterie board, so we're going to kind of show them what kind of the recent trend with charcuterie boards have been, and they're going to.
00:20:26 Alexis
Their own little smore charcuterie board and the past we've also done at hot chocolate play dough and they've really enjoyed it.
00:20:34 Alexis
It kind of lets them get their feet wet into the kind of ProStart experience while still being on their level and hands on.
00:20:44 Breanne
Yeah, those sessions are always full in our elementary buildings when we host those so we know it's a high interest area for our kids.
00:20:50 Breanne
Because, you know, I think it draws on some of those experiences they have with moms or grandmas or dads or older siblings where they get to do some baking and cooking at home.
00:20:57 Breanne
But really, expanding upon recent trends and then hearing from essentially in their eyes professionals right when you culinary interns go over there like you're the big kids and they aspire to be you so.
00:21:07 Deb
That's really fun, exactly culinary 1.
00:21:10 Deb
One of our projects that we do every year is our tasty Tiger cooking show that we've done in conjunction with Tiger Vision and the media class.
00:21:18 Deb
And my students like it's we put it out there for everyone to view so they actually have to prepare something and demo it.
00:21:25 Deb
And so anything that we can do like that to help families see kind of who we are and what we're capable of, I think, is really important, so what's up and coming?
00:21:35 Breanne
What's the next goal for the ProStart?
00:21:39 Deb
Wow, I mentioned the cookie printer.
00:21:42 Deb
I think we're trying to kind of expand our baking and pastry.
00:21:46 Deb
I think giving kids every opportunity the Roar Store is ever evolving.
00:21:50 Deb
We started with Froyo and expanded to our barista and coffee bar and now we have smoothies and we're breakfast.
00:21:59 Deb
Burritos on occasion. Special order Lexi's been in charge of that I think just trying to keep up with industry trends. We're always trying to show that we.
00:22:09 Deb
We are aware that it's ever it's an ever changing industry and again taking it to the new level.
00:22:16 Deb
I think means bringing in more industry professionals so anyone that you know is willing to give of their time and talent we could use you Lexi.
00:22:24 Breanne
Where would you like to see the program?
00:22:25 Breanne
If you come back and visit HS in five to 10 years, what would you like to see?
00:22:28 Alexis
I think it would be probably really cool to see.
00:22:31 Alexis
More kids like as culinary 3 and as culinary interns.
00:22:36 Alexis
Because at least the last three years I've only known about one or two because once you get to that higher level, there's more things.
00:22:44 Alexis
There's more opportunities to do and test, and kind of figure out.
00:22:48 Alexis
I also, as Miss Rombough said, would I think it would be really cool to see the baking and pastry program kind of grow and.
00:22:54 Alexis
Expand just to see what else you can do.
00:23:00 Deb
We've got dreams of like expanding into the other schools as well, like it would be really cool to.
00:23:05 Deb
You know to be able to take a coffee cart over a mobile coffee cart.
00:23:09 Deb
Like hey, today we're going to be at South Middle School, right?
00:23:13 Deb
Those kind of things that kind of experience for my students is invaluable.
00:23:18 Deb
It's like it's real, it's real stuff and you can't.
00:23:22 Deb
You just don't get that sitting in a normal classroom.
00:23:25 Breanne
Yeah, well, thanks for joining us today and sharing all the successes for Harrisburg ProStart.
00:23:30 Breanne
This is going to wrap up our Ctso podcast experience.
00:23:34 Breanne
We hope you had a great time.
00:23:35 Breanne
If you have questions or like to contact us, you can look forward details in the show notes or reach out to any of our instructors or Miss Joanne Vermalen.
00:23:42 Breanne
The Harrisburg School District communications director.
00:23:45 Breanne
Thanks for joining me today everybody.
00:23:46 Alexis
Thank you, yeah you guys have a great day.
00:23:47 Deb
Thank you.