Educate the youth of OC to break the poverty cycle.

Chef Bruno’s Hospitality Academy; a partnership with Anaheim Union’s P21 Mentorship program, to provide at-risk teenagers with a nine-week program that teaches content and skills not taught in the traditional school day. The academy is an extended learning opportunity where students are introduced to the Orange County Hospitality Industry at large, and then trained in restaurant specific skills. Executives from major hotels, hospitals, culinary schools, and businesses have been secured as guest speakers to provide students insight on the opportunities that lie ahead as they prepare to exit high school and enter the workforce. Over the course of nine weeks, our expert staff trains the students in all aspects of the restaurant and hotel industry including cuisine, nutrition, restaurant service, marketing, administration, and financial literacy. More than skill learning and resume building, this program strives to provide children with a unique and impactful career exploration opportunity. The Academy will also serve as an innovative after school program to keep the teens in our community off the streets and involved in activities that will help shape and brighten their future. Finally, we believe that providing young adults with the necessary skills to become employed will be instrumental in preventing the cycle of homelessness.

Administrators of the Hospitality Program, professionals in the industry, and peer groups will assess learned skills and behaviors of the students prior to graduation. Students will be tested in quantifiable areas such as proper safety measures, food cost analysis, food prep technique, and overall service performance. Finally, all students who graduate from the academy will be provided with letters of recommendations and followed up with in order to report how many students have successfully become employed in the hospitality industry upon completion of the program.