Dish It Out!

Restaurant Workforce Competition for Teens & Young Adults.

Earn Your Spot in Our Summer & Fall Culinary Training Programs

Community Classroom Kitchen, together with South Florida’s top chefs, culinary instructors, food entrepreneurs, restaurant groups and influencers, and in partnership with the Palm Beach County School District, has developed a pilot hospitality program to train a workforce of inspired young foodies to find their passion and purpose in the culinary space. CCK is a community-based solution for maximizing business potential through human potential for non-traditional, hands-on learners.

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We will be selecting two cohorts of 15 students each for:

Summer Program • June 23rd – August 2nd, 2025

Fall Program • Begins week of September 15th, 2025

This pilot program is funded by Children’s Services Council and Community Classroom Project’s JP Kline Culinary Arts Scholarship Fund. Merit and need-based scholarships will be awarded.

Saturday, March 8, 2025 • 9am-3pm • Ages 14-18

The Hub at Space of Mind • 101 NW 1st Ave. • Delray Beach, FL 33444

Deadline for all applications is Feb. 18th, 2025.

Back-of-House (Kitchen) Challenges

1. Mise en Place Race:
Participants organize ingredients for a simple recipe, focusing on speed, accuracy, and attention to detail.

2. Knife Skills Test:
Have them chop vegetables (e.g., onions, carrots) into uniform pieces. Offer guidance if needed and assess hand-eye coordination and willingness to learn.

3. Plating Challenge:
Give them pre-prepared food and challenge them to plate it creatively while keeping it practical for service.

4. Kitchen Relay:
Set up a series of quick tasks (e.g., cracking eggs, stirring batter, assembling sandwiches) to test multitasking and time management.

5. Flavor ID Game:
Blindfold participants and ask them to taste or smell spices and sauces, encouraging them to identify the flavors. This tests sensory perception and creativity.

Front-of-House Challenges

1. Table Setting Relay:
Teach them how to set a table properly, then time them as they set several tables. Accuracy and speed are key.

2. Order Taking Roleplay:
Pair participants with “customers” who give complex orders. This tests active listening and customer service skills.

3. Customer Recovery Drill:
Present them with a mock scenario (e.g., cold soup, wrong order) and see how they resolve it with tact and professionalism.

4. Memory Game:
Have participants memorize a short menu or specials list and then recite it back to mock customers.

5. Drink Service Challenge:
Practice carrying trays of drinks without spilling, emphasizing balance and composure under pressure.

Combined Front and Back Challenges

1. The Service Flow:
Participants work in teams to run a mini pop-up service. Some take orders, others cook, and some plate. Rotate roles to see how they adapt and collaborate.

2. Speedy Service:
Test how quickly and accurately participants can take an order, communicate it to the kitchen, and serve the dish.

3. Problem-Solving Stations:
Set up “challenges” like a broken dish, a delayed order, or a customer complaint, and observe their reactions and teamwork.

4. Menu Design Mini-Challenge:
Give participants a simple theme (e.g., brunch or BBQ) and let them design a quick menu. This tests creativity and understanding of restaurant concepts.

Soft Skill Activities

1. Teamwork Tower:
Using blocks (like Jenga), participants build a tower together, demonstrating communication and teamwork.

2. Time Management Puzzle:
Present them with a packed schedule (e.g., 10 orders to fulfill in 30 minutes) and ask them to plan the workflow.

3. Leadership Challenge:
Rotate team leads during tasks and observe how each person takes charge and motivates the group.

4. Self-Care Station:
Offer a brief session on stress management and self-care in the restaurant industry, with activities like mindfulness exercises.

Apply Today!

Deadline for all applications is Feb. 18th, 2025.

MM slash DD slash YYYY
Address(Required)
What is your shirt size?(Required)
Are you available for Summer Restaurant Training from June 23rd to August 2nd??(Required)
Do you have reliable transportation?(Required)
Do you require any physical or learning accommodations?(Required)

Sample Agenda

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Welcome & Registration

  • Check-in
  • Brief introduction to the event
  • Overview of the summer training program and what to expect

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Icebreaker & Team Formation

  • Fun team-building activity (e.g., “Find Your Flavor” matching game or teamwork challenge)

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM: Back-of-House (Kitchen) Challenge 1 – Mise en Place Race

  • Organizing ingredients, prepping for a simple recipe

10:45 AM – 11:00 AM: Snack Break

  • Quick grab-and-go snacks and refreshments

11:00 AM – 11:45 AM: Front-of-House Challenge 1 – Table Setting Relay

  • Setting multiple tables to restaurant standards

11:45 AM – 12:30 PM: Back-of-House (Kitchen) Challenge 2 – Plating Challenge

  • Participants plate pre-prepared dishes with creativity and practicality

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Lunch Break

  • Provided lunch, plus a chance for networking and casual conversation

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM: Combined Challenge – The Service Flow

  • Teams alternate roles between front-of-house and back-of-house while managing a mock restaurant service

2:15 PM – 2:45 PM: Soft Skill Challenge – Teamwork Tower

  • Building a structure with blocks, focusing on teamwork and communication skills

2:45 PM – 3:00 PM: Closing Session & Next Steps

  • Review of the day’s challenges
  • Introduction to the next steps for the summer program application process
  • Thank you and closing remarks

Training Roadmap

1. Restaurant Bootcamp: Prospective culinary students will join a one-day Olympiad-style event to participate in front and back-of-the-house themed activities to test important skills and help determine readiness for the program and the best workgroup placement.

2. Restaurant Skills Workshop: First stop in the official journey: Learn the restaurant basics. This front and back-of-the-house overview will cover the foundation for starting positions, restaurant culture, safety and more.

3. Life Skills Workshop: Getting the job is one thing; keeping it is another. This workshop is Adulting 101 – how to show up, ask for help, manage time and expectations, practice self-care, support the team and more.

4. Meal Box Project: This project curates, preps, produces and distributes meal boxes for the community, and each box sold means a box is donated to a family in need. Time worked counts as community service, and the experience will propel students to their first paid position.

5. Ghost Kitchen: Open for dinner delivery four nights a week, this is a paid position in a student-run business. Mentored by local chefs and managed by a seasoned chef/restaurant owner, “Training Meals” is on a mission to deliver “the fix” for not just hungry households, but for the restaurant industry, as well.

6. Restaurant Stage: After completing a tour in the Ghost Kitchen, students are ready for the big leagues! These short “apprenticeships” in a few local restaurants are a chance to learn in the big league. 

7. Restaurant Job: After trying out and interviewing at several diverse establishments, students will be offered a full-time position in a local restaurant.

8. Career Coaching: Once a CCK student, always one. As a new hire – and throughout their time of employment – all CCK graduates will have regular coaching sessions to ensure a smooth transition into their new job and consistent practice of life skills necessary for success.

9. Train the Trainer: CCK graduates who exhibit excellence throughout their time as students and tenure as paid restaurant employees will be offered the opportunity to train those coming up behind them.