Chef Training Program

Youth are paired with a Chef Mentor and a wraparound program to develop the vocational skills needed to secure and maintain a culinary job.

Measuring Impact

88
%
Use internship skills at work
90
%
Graduation Rate
67
%
Cook to pay for college
54
%
Receive job offers from mentors

Sprouts Partner Restaurants

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Sprouts' Theory of Change

We Solve

To meet the needs of our youth, we:

  • Enroll youth in life success programs
  • Enroll youth in paid restaurant internships
  • Teach money management and introduction to financials
  • Help youth secure culinary jobs

We Partner

To better serve youth, we team up with:

  • Professional Chefs
  • Life Success Programs
  • Financial Experts

We Believe

Core Beliefs:

  • Kitchens Heal
  • Jobs Change Lives
  • It takes a village

We See

Over 170,000+ Bay Area youth live in poverty.

Tens of thousands more face hardship such as gang violence, homelessness, abuse, high school dropout, crime, and drugs.

We Change

Our programs help:

  • Youth stabilize
  • Youth achieve financial autonomy
  • Youth use culinary jobs to kickstart culinary careers
  • Youth pay for educations or pursue alternate career paths

Are you a 16-28 year-old interested in a paid culinary internship?

Program Details

​Interns are paired with a Chef Mentor for hands-on culinary training in a restaurant kitchen where they develop the skills needed to secure and maintain a culinary job. Graduates use these entry-level jobs to kickstart culinary careers, pay for education, or pursue new industries. Since 2012, dozens of young adults have landed first-time, competitive jobs in the modern restaurant industry.

Eligibility

No experience in the restaurant industry is required.

To join our program you must:

  • Be 16-28 years old
  • Have interest in culinary work or the desire to work a culinary job to pay for your next step in life
  • Have a working knowledge of English (Intermediate ACTFL level)
  • Be willing to devote a minimum of 12 hours per week to Sprouts training shifts
  • Be available for a duration of 8 weeks (96 hours of training total)
  • Live in stable housing
  • Have access to transportation

Spring Cohort

February-April

Summer Cohort

June-August

Fall Cohort

October-December

Chef Training Program Structure

Application
Orientation
Trial Shift
Internship
Graduation
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Ways To Support Sprouts

Since 2012, Sprouts supporters have helped hundreds of young people secure culinary jobs. Donating time, resources, and expertise, Sprouts’ mentor chefs, volunteers, and partners have changed lives within their communities. 

Host an Intern

Train youth to cook in your restaurant.

Learn More

Donate

Help fund the culinary training of an intern.

Learn More

Become a Sponsor

Donate time, expertise, and resources to Sprouts.

Learn More

Work With Us

Join us as an employee or volunteer.

Learn More

Jobs Change Lives. Kitchens Heal. It Takes a Village

Get in touch with Sprouts

1 Mandalay Place Unit 1503
South San Francisco 94080