Culinary instruction for a meaningful career.
At The Good Acre, we take a holistic approach to solving critical gaps in the regional food system. When we first started selling local produce to area K-12 schools, we realized that logistics were only part of the problem.
To build successful and sustainable farm to school programs, we need to address a key barrier schools face in implementing scratch cooking in their kitchens—staffing shortages. By addressing the shortage of trained school chefs, we can grow a school’s capacity to make and serve nutritious scratch-made meals—a win for kids, a win for schools, and a win for the local food system.

Program Goals

Encourage more people to pursue culinary food service careers in schools

Increase the number of healthy food options served and consumed in schools

Enable schools to source more local produce for scratch cooking in their kitchens
How does the program work?
Participants go through 10-weeks of a combination of hands-on and online training, followed by an internship at a partnering professional kitchen. Participants:
- Receive a weekly stipend to offset living expenses
- Participate in a combination of hands-on and online training, approximately 28 hours per week
- Fulfill a 4-week internship commitment with one of our partner kitchens
- Receive support in obtaining a culinary service job at the end of the program
VoCul Open House Webinar—May 6th!
If you are interested in joining the ranks of skilled culinary professionals working in area public school kitchens, look no further than our Vocational Culinary Training Program. RSVP today our VoCul Virtual Open House on May 6th!

Vocational Training F.A.Q.
VoCul, our Vocational Culinary Training program, aims to increase area schools’ capacity for serving healthy, locally-sourced, scratch-cooked meals by training individuals seeking careers and employment in the K-12 school culinary setting. This 14-week vocational training program supports the workforce, school foodservice operations, and our regional farm economy.
Under the guidance of Chef Lachelle Cunningham, trainees learn about food safety (ServSafe certification included), school nutrition guidelines, large-batch scratch cooking, how to use industrial equipment, and more. The first ten weeks of the program consist of a mix of online and in-person training at The Good Acre’s commercial kitchen. A four-week internship follows at one of The Good Acre’s partner kitchens.
VoCul is a pilot program of The Good Acre, in partnership with Casa de Esperanza and Cornerstone Advocacy Service. If you are affiliated with a community organization interested in being a VoCul program partner in the future, please APPLY HERE.
During the internship phase of this pilot program, participants are invited to intern with our partners who currently include: Minneapolis Public Schools Culinary & Wellness, Roseville Area Schools Nutrition Services, Robbinsdale Public Schools, Chowgirls Catering, and Eat for Equity. APPLY HERE to be a host site for interns in the future.
Applications for Cohort 2 are now open and we will begin the next training in July 2021.
Time Commitment: 28 hours per week for all 14 weeks of the program
- 10-week Training Phase includes a mix of online Zoom lectures, in-person cooking labs, and flexible remote work tasks
- 4-week Internship Phase includes 112 hours of on the job training in a partnering kitchen
- Graduation – Takes place during the final week of the internship
For the well being and accommodation of all program faculty and participants, the VoCul program has been designed to be flexible to different schedules and personal circumstances, while reducing in-person contact and adhering to social distancing guidelines. Training is delivered in a combination of formats:
- Weekly online lectures through Zoom Meetings. Participants do not need to have a Zoom account to log in.
- Weekly in-person cooking labs at The Good Acre kitchen.
- Web-based components can be completed remotely with high-speed internet connection through the online class portal.
- Internships take place at various kitchen locations in the Twin Cities metro area. Each intern completes their 112 internship hours at one site.
Yes!
Participants are paid a weekly stipend of $420 per week with good attendance.
All kitchen equipment and recipe ingredients needed for in-person labs are provided by The Good Acre. This includes knives, smallwares, and larger equipment and appliances. TGA also provides textbooks for ServSafe certification, a chef’s coat for each graduate, and aprons to use while in the kitchen.
VoCul has extra transportation and/or child care funds available for participants to attend online and in-person training sessions. These additional funds are available by request. Students should contact the instructor directly to learn more about the request and approval process.
Applicants must:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Have valid identification, as required by the I-9 form
- Have a high school diploma or equivalency
Note: while our intention is to remove as many barriers as possible to training and employment opportunities, it is possible that some results of background investigations could deem an applicant ineligible for employment in school kitchens.
No.
Participants will graduate with the skills necessary to start a career in school foodservice, preparing nutrient-dense meals that taste good and get students excited to eat healthier. Our goal is to educate, empower, and equip participants with culinary and job readiness skills. We collaborate with our school district partners to create pathways to employment when possible. However, job placement depends on school needs at the time of graduation, and VoCul graduates must go through the district’s application process. We will gladly provide a professional reference by request.
Meet Your Instructor
Lachelle Cunningham
CULINARY EDUCATION MANAGER
Lachelle is passionate about empowering people with the skills needed to create healthy and soulful food. She believes exposing kids to new foods is critical for helping them learn to make healthy choices that will last a lifetime.

For Participants
Applications for our next cohort are now open. If you are interested in being a participant in the future, please apply using the button below. Applications are due June 1, 2021.
Las aplicaciones ya están abiertas. Si está interesado en participar en el futuro, clique el botón para aplicar. Solicite antes del 1 de Junio de 2021.
For Partners
If you are a K-12 school interested in hiring skilled culinary workers or a community organization representing clients in need of employment, apply to be a partner.
Program Partners








Accreditation


VoCul is made possible with funding from the Cargill Foundation. The program is ACFEF-accredited for delivering high standards in culinary arts education.