Ben Blatt Email and Phone Number

Developed and implemented culinary literacy curriculum for youth employment program (ages 14-18) to meet specific requirements of workforce development grant fundingResearched and implemented best practices for program delivery to increase efficiency and effectivenessHelped to develop new program areas and make modifications to existing areas in response to changing needs of participants - particularly during and after the COVID pandemicSupervised AmeriCorps members that staff the summer program cycleConducted pre-service training sessions for AmeriCorps members regarding the most effective ways to mentor youth from diverse backgroundsMaintained records related to program activities for use in reporting to county government, grant funders, and community stakeholders highlighting program achievements and challengesWorked directly with Youth Programs Manager to develop strategies to increase program visibility and participationDeveloped and delivered new hire trainings and instructional materials covering workers rights, labor laws, sexual harassment laws, workplace safety, and DEI for youth employees summer onboarding and orientation sessionsHelped to establish and maintain relationships with community partners who provided programming opportunities for BYP youth to expand program reach and impactRecruited youth for participation in the summer program cycle, explained program offerings and requirements to youth and their guardians and answered related questions, assisted families with the application process

Taught Culinary Arts 100 and 101, Food Safety and Sanitation, Culinary Nutrition, and College 100 First Year Seminar courses, providing instruction to up to 20 undergraduate students from diverse backgroundsDeveloped curriculum standards, lesson plans and syllabiCreated positive and safe learning environment for students by setting and enforcing classroom code of conduct Incorporated diverse instructional techniques to accommodate various learning styles and abilities within the classroom and the kitchen labCoordinated guest speaker events, exposing students to real-world perspectives from industry professionals like cake decorators, cheese makers, and butchersAssessed students' progress during practical labs and provided real time verbal feedback Graded quizzes, tests, homework, and projects to provide students with timely academic progress information and written feedback

I worked in the food service industry for almost fifteen years. I held positions that ranged from prep cook to executive chef in a wide variety of settings including independent casual restaurants, grocery store, hospital, boarding school, catering, country club, and fine dining establishments in various parts of the US