Center For The Advancement Of Foodservice Education's 4th Annual Green Award Recognizes Excellence In Sustainability Education

The Kendall College School of Culinary Arts and the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFE) are accepting applications for the 2012 CAFE/Kendall College Green Award. This is the first-ever national award to recognize secondary and postsecondary culinary-arts and baking/pastry programs for their commitment to sustainability. In addition to the award, the winning program will receive a $1,000 cash prize plus complimentary registration to the 8th-Annual CAFE Leadership Conference, June 21-23, at The Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio, Texas.

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.

"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," says Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, HAAC, vice president of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts and of Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Culinary Arts. "By working together to build this body of knowledge, educators everywhere will have the tools to impact the future of our industry and our world through our students."

According to Mary Petersen, founder and executive director of CAFE, 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. "We hope to hear from many programs across the country whose commitment to teaching sustainability will serve as an inspiration to all schools," Petersen says.

Last year's award went to the Colorado State University (CSU) Hospitality Management Program at Fort Collins for its comprehensive integration of sustainability into all aspects of its operation. Its student-run restaurant, Aspen Grille, is a model of sustainable operation. The restaurant grows much of its own produce and sources micro greens through CSU's horticulture department. Other foods are locally sourced wherever possible. Even coffee is roasted locally and sourced from environmentally managed estates in Brazil. The restaurant uses only compostable to-go containers, and recycles and composts everything possible. The resulting compost is used as a soil additive, which closes the circle.

Full information about award criteria and the application process is located at www.CafeMeetingPlace.com under the "Instructor Scholarship/Awards" tab. Applications must be postmarked no later than April 1, 2012, and the winner will be notified by May 1, 2012.

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