Phillips School - Laurel Adds Commercial Kitchen For Students

From Phillips: Student farmers and chefs were on hand during PHILLIPS School ~ Laurel’s grand opening of a commercial kitchen. This culinary classroom complements the school’s vertical farm program, which provides students hands-on education and sustainability job skills, by teaching them how to cook the food they grow. The school is part of nonprofit PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families.

“We are equipping our students with real world job skills so they have options when they graduate. Having an indoor farm where they grow food and a commercial kitchen where they learn to cook foods is a great way to learn about both aspects of food preparation in fields where employers are hiring,” said Piper Phillips Caswell, CEO, PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families.

A commercial kitchen provides skills that students can use in restaurants, food service, and catering; and the vertical farm opens employment opportunities in hydroponic and other farming operations as well as food service. These new programs serve youth who have been referred by local school systems, including DC and Howard, Prince George’s, and Montgomery Counties, for a variety of emotional and behavioral health challenges.

Grand opening attendees took tours of the state-of-the art commercial kitchen built by KasCon and had tastings of microgreens grown in the school’s indoor farm. Students are raising fresh produce (herbs, microgreens and produce) and using those ingredients in the culinary arts curriculum. In its inaugural year, the program has 15 students enrolled. PHILLIPS expects that number to increase annually.

As part of unveiling the kitchen, PHILLIPS launched a $1 million capital campaign to help support the costs of building and running the commercial kitchen and farm. Already, AIMS India Foundation provided a $24,000 to support the vertical farm and the Truitt Family Foundation provided a $10,000 grant. Also during the event, Senator Guy Guzzone along with Delegate Frank Turner presented PHILLIPS with a proclamation marking its 50th anniversary. Others helping celebrate the kitchen opening included Leonardo McClarty, president and CEO, Howard County Chamber of Commerce; Jeff Kassman, president, KasCon; and students and faculty.

PHILLIPS serves students with special needs ages 5-22 who have significant behavioral health challenges and for whom school has often been a place of repeated failure and frustration. For 50 years, PHILLIPS has helped youth succeed by providing customized support and education through four programs, including: Special Education Day Schools in Annandale, VA, Fairfax, VA, Leesburg, VA and Laurel, MD; PHILLIPS Family Partners offering home- and community-based counseling and support; and PHILLIPS Career Partners helping students transition to employment through building trades, culinary arts, urban agriculture, 3D design and print, and job placement experiences. www.phillipsprograms.org

Image Courtesy of Phillips