Careers Through Culinary Arts Program

Long co-chaired by chef Marcus Samuelsson, Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) is a workforce development nonprofit that provides underserved teens a pathway to success. Annually, C-CAP provides culinary, job and life skills to over 15,000 middle-and-high school students in six cities/regions across the United States: New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC/Maryland and Arizona, including 7 Navajo Reservation schools. This 31-year-old nonprofit founded by Richard Grausman strives to help further food and social justice, as well as equity and inclusion by providing tools for success. Starting in middle schools, we provide culinary-and-wellness curriculum, and in high schools also provide an integrated approach to employment in the food sector via internships/apprenticeships, job shadows, mentorship, and work opportunities, college and career advising, and higher-education scholarships, along with product and food donations. The success of our alumni is proof of our methodology and the work we have done. To date, we have worked with 350,000 students and awarded $62 million in scholarships. C-CAP has transformed thousands of lives in a meaningful way. The urgency to help these diverse communities has never been more critical.