At New Castle Career Center (NCCC), the Culinary Arts program offers high school students a comprehensive culinary education through its affiliation with ProStart, an industry-driven chapter of Family, Career, Community, Leaders of America (FCCLA). ProStart focuses on culinary arts and restaurant management, providing students with hands-on experience and real-world skills.

Under the guidance of ProStart-certified Instructor Chef Robin Boucher, NCCC Culinary Arts students engage in various competitions throughout the year, including Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry events. At the beginning of the program, students are elected for their FCCLA/ProStart Chapter positions and hold monthly meetings during which they plan projects, menus, and competition teams.

Every year in the springtime, students from NCCC Culinary Arts participate in the Indiana FCCLA/ProStart State Leadership Conference. At this event, students compete in various categories, such as cooking, baking, culinary math, restaurant management, and hospitality.

2024 Indiana FCCLA/ProStart State Conference Awards

On March 1, culinary arts students attended the 2024 Indiana FCCLA/ProStart State Conference at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie, Indiana. Several students competed in the ProStart FCCLA Invitational and were awarded silver and bronze medals for their projects.

Among the winners were:

• Silver Medal in Baking: Sophie Williams and Cora Bales
• Silver Medal: Team Red members Malayla Trennepohl, Isaia Gardner, Sophie Williams, and Landon Hicks
• Bronze Medal: Team Blue members Jesse Williams, Maleah Golob, Lily Abernathey, and Cora Bale

“My students love the creativity they get in the culinary competition,” expressed Chef Boucher. They have to create a menu, execute the menu items in one hour with just camp stoves (no electricity at all), and cost out all the recipes. It is essentially a mini restaurant.” While Prostart offers different industry competitions, like Culinary Math, Management, and more, the NCCC Culinary Arts program concentrates on culinary and baking.

The ProStart Baking and Pastry Competition is a solo contest in which students must produce a quickbread, cookies, choux pastry, and decorate a cake within two hours. Timing and scientific knowledge are crucial in baking.

ProStart is an excellent platform for Indiana students to connect with other ProStart peers statewide. Chef Boucher said students enjoy visiting the Ivy Tech Muncie campus, as it hosts their dual credit program. This exposure lets them preview their future college campus, staff, and classes.

Stay updated with the NCCC Culinary Arts program at https://www.facebook.com/ncculinaryarts.

FCCLA, also known as Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, is a nationwide Career And Technical Student Organization (CTSO) focused on supporting Family and Consumer Sciences education for students through grade 12. At the New Castle Career Center (NCCC), all students enrolled in the Education Professions program actively participate in FCCLA projects and events.

At the start of the NCCC Education Professions program, all enrolled students become members of FCCLA. Student affiliation begins with the school year, followed by officer elections and monthly chapter meetings. Junior Rylee Miller and Senior Mireya Guerrero are serving as chapter presidents this year. The monthly chapter meetings are dedicated to planning service and state projects and competitive events.

Throughout the year, students dedicate a significant amount of time to preparing for state projects and Students Taking Action with Recognition (STAR) events. Students can achieve bronze, silver, or gold in both categories. The highest gold recipients in STAR events qualify for nationals. The 2024 FCCLA National Leadership Conference is in Seattle, Washington, from June 29 to July 3. Some projects aligned with Education and Training include Lesson Planning, Teaching Strategies, Early Childhood Education, and Teach and Train.

2024 Indiana FCCLA State Leadership Conference Awards

On February 29, 2024, the education professions students attended the Indiana FCCLA State Leadership Conference at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie, Indiana. Twenty-three out of the twenty-six NCCC students participated. Several students received silver and gold medals for their state projects, and four received silver medals for their STAR events.

• Ultimate Leadership Award recipients: Ashlyn Bell, Kendra Brown, Rylee Miller, and Kenzie Clark
• Gold for Nationals in the Nutrition and Wellness category: Team members Carson Erwin, Carly Smith, and Lauren Parrish
• Rylee Miller won a Gold for the STAR event and was a National Alternate
• Ashlyn Bell, Kendra Brown, Kenzie Clark, and Bailey Stearn received a Silver for the STAR event

Amongst the most prestigious FCCLA accolades is the Ultimate Leadership Award. For nomination, students are required to complete Power of One, a state project, a STAR event, and serve as an Officer or Chair of a committee. Four students from NCCC were honored with this distinction.

“All students did an excellent job representing the Career Center,” remarked Education Careers Instructor Melynda Huckeby. “In addition to our general sessions and events, we were able to enjoy each other’s company swimming, pottery painting, dancing, and eating a lot of delicious food and coffee.”

Beyond attending conferences and nationals, FCCLA members engage in projects contributing to the local community. One impactful project was their toy drive in December, which collected over 500 toys with the participation of the entire Career Center. The toys were then distributed to local elementary schools. Another notable project involved collaborating with Wilbur Wright Elementary School to host “Fam Jam Night.” This event provided a safe, enjoyable, free family engagement opportunity within the New Castle Schools.

Visit nccareercenter.org for more information about the education professions program and other programs available through the New Castle Career Center.