Okanagan College Culinary and Pastry Arts students put their skills to work for their community, raising more than $6,400 for future student experiences and contributing over $2,500 worth of prepared food to the community fridge at the College.
An OC culinary student works in one of OC's learning kitchens.
The fundraising initiative provided students with a real-world scenario as part of their education as they worked to prepare meals for members of the OC community who need it.
"Sharing prepared food to go towards students was an easy choice given the levels of food insecurity students are facing," said Dr. Aggie Weighill, Associate Dean in the Hall School of Business and Entrepreneurship.
"As culinary educators, we want our students to understand that food is about more than technical skill. It is also about care, responsibility, and community," said Department Chair, Chef Kelsey Oudendag. "This type of work gives our students a meaningful connection between what they were learning in the kitchen and food security on our own campuses."
Pastry Arts students also combined their learning with fundraising through a series of pop-up sales featuring student-made ice cream, pies, cakes and cookies. Along the way, students gained experience in product development, packaging, marketing and sales.
Using a by-donation model, the students supported their own field experiences while contributing to the Culinary and Baking Student Success Fund through the OC Foundation. In total, $6,408.85 was raised to support high-impact learning opportunities for future Culinary and Pastry Arts students.
"The Culinary and Baking Student Success Fund helps reduce the cost of important experiential learning opportunities, including industry field trips and competitions," said Weighill. "It is especially meaningful to see students gaining valuable experience while creating opportunities for those who will follow them. This partnership was a natural fit for our department and a wonderful example of how collaboration across campus can enhance student learning while supporting our community."
The initiative comes during a month that is celebrating World Food Day (October 16) and International Chefs Day (October 20) and the one-year anniversary of Kelowna's designation as Canada's first and only UNESCO City of Gastronomy (Oct. 31).
The College is preparing to move its culinary and pastry arts programming into the Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism in Sept. 2027. Plans include making student-prepared meals and bakery products available at affordable prices for students and community members, while continuing to support the Culinary and Baking Student Success Fund.
To learn how you can get involved in supporting the new Centre and help create opportunities for Culinary and Pastry Arts students, visit Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism.
