Junior Culinary Arts Program

The Junior Culinary Arts Program provides teens 15 to 18 years old with meaningful work and life and leadership skills through education and training. This career and technical job-readiness program provides Club teens the opportunity to work in one of our state of the art kitchens and on our Blue CanTEEN food truck as they build skills in the culinary arts, restaurant management and entrepreneurship.

The Boys & Girls Club of Collier County’s Junior Culinary Arts Program is a comprehensive Career & Technical Education Program that includes kitchen basics, safety and sanitation, purchasing and inventory control, customer service, and food and control cost.

Our Curriculum includes:

  • Basic food preparation
  • Purchasing
  • Inventory control
  • Introduction to culinary nutrition
  • Culinary fundamentals
  • Sanitation
  • Introduction to baking
  • Workplace safety
  • Introduction to food cost and control
  • Introduction to menu writing

The Junior Culinary Arts Program places an emphasis on teamwork and interpersonal skills, academics, and technical skills.

Blue CanTEEN Food Truck

The Boys & Girls Club of Collier County’s food truck program provides freshly prepared food using the finest locally sourced ingredients while helping build hope and a future for our community’s youth.

Keep your eye out for the Blue CanTEEN around town serving up new and exciting menu items at local businesses, events, markets and more each week.

Sponsorship & Advertising Opportunities Available

Join the many businesses/organizations wanting to impact our community’s economy and workforce! By aligning your efforts with our Workforce Readiness Initiative, you empower the youth in Collier County to reach their full potential as productive and responsible citizens. The Boys & Girls Club of Collier County’s Blue CanTEEN Food Truck provides a great opportunity for our youth to develop skills in leadership and entrepreneurship. Our program curriculum offers a distinct combination of engaging projects, conceptual rigor, and integrated skills instruction while providing a hands-on industry experience running a culinary business. Club Members plan their business from start to finish, beginning with researching industry data, and setting priorities and goals that influence all aspects from location, marketing strategy, menu offerings, and financial literacy. 

We invite you to become an annual sponsor for The Boys & Girls Club of Collier County Workforce Readiness Initiative. Your generous contributions directly impact the expansion of the opportunities available to our Club members as they explore career options. If you’re interested, please contact Jennifer Nelson, Chief Development Officer, at jnelson@BGCCC.com or 239-325-1736.

Let us cater your next event

Our chefs are pleased to offer catering for all events including weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, graduation parties, birthdays, corporate events, and private get togethers. We offer a fully customized menu to suit your needs with the highest level of service. Contact Chef Jaimil at 239-325-1770 or email jrivera@bgccc.com.

The Blue CanTEEN Food Truck serves Southwest Florida and is frequently out in the community serving loyal patrons and welcoming new customers. The Blue CanTEEN offers catering for office events, private events from weddings to birthday parties, corporate events, culinary competitions and more. Learn more about the Blue CanTEEN Food Truck here.