The Mentorship Initiative

Chefs de Cuisine Mentoring Initiative evolved from an ongoing partnership between the Education Foundation and Kitchens For Good (KFG). 

KFG is a culinary apprentice program that provides work skills and life skills training to people from troubled backgrounds. The apprentices prepare meals for the homeless, hungry and food insecure, work with local food rescue and other local efforts to reduce food waste.

During a KFG graduation ceremony several years ago, the idea surfaced to offer free, one-year Chefs de Cuisine memberships to program graduates. It provides another touchstone for support, exposure to veteran chefs and the opportunity to develop leadership positions within the organization.

A mentorship was later added to accompany the membership. There is a transition from barely hanging on to having solid grasp of yourself and world around you. Mentorship aids that transition.

It also became clear that major demographic shifts were underway in the formerly male-dominated culinary field. When KFG started almost seven years ago, the classes were 80 percent male. Now the classes were 50 and 60 percent female. Other culinary schools in the region showed the same dramatic increase in the number of woman candidates. 

A special call went out to women foodservice professionals in San Diego. Spokespeople were chosen to champion the overall mentorship effort. 

On March 9, 2020, a mentorship workshop was held to provide a solid framework for a mentoring initiative for all local culinary schools.

On March 12, 2020, the nation and much of the world shutdown. Restaurants and schools closed and life according to global pandemic became a harsh, long-lasting reality. 

Plans to reactivate the Mentorship initiative are underway as the wait continues for a safe resumption of normal business activity.