Boys and Girls Clubs Hiram E. Jackson Culinary Program
About
Teen Culinary Workforce Program at the Hiram E. Jackson Club
Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan operates a culinary workforce development track for older youth out of the Hiram E. Jackson Club in Highland Park (Detroit's enclave neighborhood), built around a new commercial teaching kitchen completed during a recent $2 million renovation.
Kids Programs
- Culinary Workforce Development Program - paid 12-week training for ages 14-24
- In-house meal preparation crew - youth participate in preparing and distributing roughly 125,000 meals and snacks per year for BGCSM sites
- Regular Club programming with cooking and nutrition elements for the under-14 age range
Hours: School Year 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm; Summer 7:30 am - 6:00 pm.
What's Included
- Free participation for Boys and Girls Club members
- Paid stipend for the 12-week workforce program
- Use of a commercial-grade teaching kitchen
- Career-aligned skills aimed at real foodservice jobs (knife skills, food safety, batch production, plating)
Experience
Different scope from a recreational kids cooking school - this is a workforce program plus broader Club programming. Best fit for older teens looking at culinary careers (paid experience) and for younger members of the Hiram E. Jackson Club who get cooking exposure through the in-house meal program.