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  3. Rachel Kowalsk

Rachel Kowalsk

Development manager

Your Class Gifts a Career


Every class you take helps fund Sprouts’ Chef-In-Traning Program which helps young adults like Jaylen and Cassandra turn their lives around and land jobs in the restaurant industry. Thank you!

sproutscheftraining

Helping Bay Area youth land culinary jobs.
Jobs Change Lives | Kitchens Heal |
It Takes A Village

Sprouts Chef Training
SPROUTS CHEF TRAINEE SPOTLIGHT! Introducing Andy, SPROUTS CHEF TRAINEE SPOTLIGHT! Introducing Andy, who joined us as an intern this summer at Daytrip, working under Chef Finn Stern. Andy began cooking at age 10 out of necessity. His mom often worked evening shifts, and Andy found himself making the same things for dinner over and over again: scrambled eggs, white rice, and sliced meat. Wanting to improve the quality and health of his meals, Andy began learning additional creative dishes he could make for his family. At the beginning of his Sprouts internship, Andy worried he would ask too many questions, and felt nervous to work with folks he didn’t know well. Over time, Andy became more comfortable with his coworkers and his communication skills improved. Andy also grew stronger in his technical knife skills and can now efficiently prep vegetables. Andy especially liked that cooking gives him some time away from his phone, and he found being alone with his thoughts while working to be calming and peaceful. Outside of his internship, Andy enjoys spending time with his friends by playing multiplayer video games and working out. Andy continues to enjoy cooking at home for his mom and younger brother. Andy plans to use the communication and work ethic skills he learned during his internship to help him go to college, where he hopes to major in business or a business-related field. Whatever direction Andy chooses, we know his hard work and ability to learn quickly will take him far in life. Congratulations Andy! #sproutscheftraining #jobschangelives #kitchensheal #ittakesavillage #sfbayareafood #sfbayarearestaurants #sanfrancisco #youthempowerment #cheftrainee #chefmentor #culinarytraining #sanfranciscorestaurants #bayareaeats @this.is.daytrip
And they're off! The Sprouts Chef Training Fall C And they're off! The Sprouts Chef Training Fall Cohort are putting on their aprons, stepping out of their comfort zones, and entering restaurant kitchens with their chef mentors for their trial shifts! It's an exciting time - the trial shifts are a crucial stage to assess whether the restaurant environment and the intern's attitude and potential will result in a successful internship. Tours of the kitchen and restaurant take place, the chef reviews their expectations with the Chef Trainee, and they get right to work. Pictured are: Chef Trainee Baesun, who was super early and excited to be working at @Chez.TJ with professional chefs. Chef Trainee Mitch was very enthusiastic and full of questions starting at @SorrelRestaurant - they got to see Sorrel’s rooftop garden and meet Chef Alex and Chef Felix. Chef Trainee Eros was also early to their shift at @OneMarketSF. Chef Mark welcomed them warmly and taught Eros the “spider fingers” cutting technique. Photos by our fabulous Chef Training Coordinator, Kaitlyn Kuehn. Kaitlyn attends every trial shift to observe and help get our interns settled into their new environment. #sproutscheftraining #trialshifts #culinarytraining #supportingyouth #youthempowerment #ittakesavillage #sfrestaurants #sfbayarearestaurants
CHEF TRAINEE SPOTLIGHT! Introducing Caesar, who in CHEF TRAINEE SPOTLIGHT! Introducing Caesar, who interned this past summer at The Cannery Kitchen & Tap under Chef Humberto Villalobos. Caeser began his culinary journey at age five, when he would wake up hungry before his family. Not yet old enough to use the stove, Caeser got creative and discovered he could cook eggs in the microwave. As he got older, Caeser went from cooking spaghetti, to learning how to make one of his signature dishes, parmesan cheese sauce with steak. Caeser’s passion for cooking led him to the Sprouts Chef Training program. With Chef Humberto's guidance, his knife skills drastically improved as he cut onion after onion and potato after potato. Caeser especially appreciated learning how each new ingredient he prepped changed the dish he was preparing as a whole. Caeser dreams of one day owning his restaurant, specializing in a mix of Mexican and American cuisine. He regularly cooks for his family and likes knowing that he’s providing those he loves with important nutrients. Whether it be through his passion for art or his passion for cooking, Caeser’s goal is to create something fresh and new that folks have never experienced before. We love Caesar's passion for expressing creativity through food and know it will take him far! 📸 @kimthompsonsteel #sproutscheftraining #jobschangelives #kitchensheal #ittakesavillage #sfbayarearestaurants #youthempowerment #cheftrainee #chefmentor #culinarytraining #bayareaeats @cannery_kitchen_tap
It Takes A Village. We've got some amazingly gen It Takes A Village. We've got some amazingly generous people who donate huge amounts of their time and energy to supporting the Sprouts mission. It's most definitely a labor of love and we LOVE our volunteers. They work with the Sprouts team to stage our events, move furniture, set tables, greet and check in guests, dash from one place to another to make sure our auctions run smoothly, provide photography and video support, and so much MORE. To our volunteers who gave up their Sunday to support our Fall Fundraiser on September 10 – THANK YOU. We couldn't do what we do to spread awareness of the Sprouts Chef Training program and support the youth we serve without you!! Want to get involved? We can promise fun opportunities to meet and work with great people AND enjoy great food at our events throughout the year. Link in our bio for more info. Our thanks to @sweetgreen for supplying absolutely delish salads to fuel our team while we set up for our Fall Event! 📸 @kimthompsonsteel #sproutscheftraining #volunteering #nonprofit #giveback #supportyouth #thankyou #ittakesavillage
We love this Foodie Chap! Liam Mayclem has been em We love this Foodie Chap! Liam Mayclem has been emcee’ing and calling our auctions at Sprouts Chef Training for 7 years! As our Founder, Kate Rogers, says “There's NO WAY Sprouts would be here today if it weren't for his ability to inspire audiences and breathe the FUN in giving back at every single one of his events.” Liam brings such heart and humor to our fundraisers and has a gift for connecting people deeply to our mission of equipping underserved Bay Area Youth with culinary training and job placement. He donates his time to many causes and states that fundraising is his main passion - he conducts over 50 charity auctions and events per years in the Bay Area and beyond. He currently hosts “Liam’s List” on KPIX/CBS in the Bay Area where he chats about food and fun and staying connected! HIP HIP HOORAY to @LiamMayclem! Thank you for your endless generosity and the spirit you bring to Sprouts! #foodiechap #liammayclem #gratitude #fundraiser #youthempowerment #culinaryforward #fundraisingevent
SPROUTS CHEF TRAINEE SPOTLIGHT! Meet Charlene, who SPROUTS CHEF TRAINEE SPOTLIGHT! Meet Charlene, who just completed her internship at @MagoRestaurant under Chef/Owner Mark Liberman. Charlene has enjoyed cooking for as long as she can remember. This passion turned into a fortunate asset as she often had to cook for her family growing up. She pursued learning more about cooking on her own time, and expanded her culinary skills even further when she joined the Sprouts Chef Training program this summer. Charlene learned how to julienne carrots and score squash, and enjoyed seeing dishes being assembled during service and presented to delighted customers. Charlene appreciated the effort Chef Mark put into getting to know her even in the midst of preparing vegetables, and she grew to value the family environment in the kitchen. Charlene has a variety of interests, but plans on earning a business degree along with a culinary certificate so that she can eventually open a restaurant that features in-season, sustainable ingredients with a focus on minimum waste. In the meantime, Charlene is involved in many extracurricular activities, including completing training in a peer mentorship program where she will assist her peers in seeking financial aid resources for college. Charlene plans to continue to use her culinary skills, sense of responsibility, and ability to learn quickly to build the quality future she deserves. We’re behind you every step of the way, Charlene… here’s to your future! #sproutscheftraining #jobschangelives #kitchensheal #ittakesavillage #sfbayarearestaurants #youthempowerment #cheftrainee #chefmentor #culinarytraining #magorestaurant #oaklandrestaurants @markliberman77
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