Announcing 5th-annual Cafe / Kendall College Green Award Recognizing Excellence In Teaching Sustainability

The Kendall College School of Culinary Arts and the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAF) are accepting applications for the 2013 CAF/Kendall College Green Award. This is the first national award to recognize secondary and postsecondary culinary-arts and baking/pastry programs for their commitment to sustainability. Additionally, the winning program will receive a $1,000 cash prize plus complimentary registration to the 9th-Annual CAF Leadership Conference, June 20-22, in Miami, Fla.

All secondary and postsecondary culinary-arts and baking/pastry programs in the United States, whether diploma- or degree-granting, are eligible. Selection criteria are based on the integration of sustainability into educational programs and/or operations.

"Sustainability, once dubbed the 'wave of the future' for the foodservice industry, is the reality today," says Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, HAAC, vice president of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts and Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Culinary Arts. "Kendall has dedicated itself to sustainability in its classrooms and operations since 2005, and even more gratifying than the value we've reaped on our own campus has been the privilege of sharing our knowledge with other educators and learning from them. That is the impetus for the CAF/Kendall College Green Award."

According to Mary Petersen, founder and executive director of CAF, the winning program will be selected for its level of innovation; perceived impact on students' understanding of sustainability practices and their importance; and the ease with which elements of the winning program can be implemented in similar programs nationwide.

Last year's award went to Seattle Culinary Academy, a division of Seattle Central Community College, for its mandatory coursework in sustainable food-system practices for students enrolled in culinary arts and specialty desserts and breads. Students learn how to plant, tend and harvest 2 acres of donated land, with harvested produce incorporated into menus at school. The school also maintains a plant-science lab/green house, teaches nose-to-tail butchery and food-preservation skills, and operates a GMO-free kitchen.

Full information about award criteria and the application process is located at www.CafeMeetingPlace.com under the "Instructor Scholarships/Awards" tab. Applications must be postmarked no later than April 1, 2013, and the winner will be notified by May 1, 2013.

For more information about the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts' sustainability initiatives, please visit http://culinary.kendall.edu/about/going-green.