ROXBURY – Showing guests around the Future Chefs space in Roxbury, founder Toni Elka is beaming with pride.

“I would never have thought that I could do this. And I—alone—did not do this. I had an idea,” Elka said.

That idea became what is now a thriving program for Boston Public School students who learn life skills using food as the medium. Originally a program to prepare teenagers for careers in the culinary industry, Elka said Future Chefs is now for all students who are open to project-based learning and interested in developing skills they will use far beyond the kitchen.

“We have a leadership ladder,” she said. “So you’re not learning the same thing in year two and year three. You start to find out what your particular skills are and you move into those opportunities that we make possible here.” 

A THERAPEUTIC PLACE

Most of the students who enroll in Future Chefs are referred by friends, teachers, school counselors or parents. There are 43 teenagers involved in the summer program. They commit to 24 hours a week and get paid for their time. 

The money comes from the City of Boston and the program’s fundraising efforts. Students pay nothing to attend. During the school year, they are in the program for 8-10 hours a week – enough time to learn and connect with other kids in a supportive environment.

At a time when young people describe feeling disassociated from peers because of “screen time” and mental health challenges, Future Chefs offers immersive, hands-on learning.

“It becomes a therapeutic and mindful place for young people. So the trauma of your school day, or your particular life, falls away as you come into really deep focus on the thing that you’re doing,” Elka said.

It is the kind of program Elka wishes had been available when she was a kid. As a low-income, high-risk high school student who almost didn’t graduate, she said that she was full of potential that no one recognized. 

“Everything at Future Chefs is geared toward making sure that never happens to a young person that walks in here through our doors,” Elka said.

OPENING DOORS

Elka is a MassArt graduate, an artist who by her own admission had vision but no idea how to fundraise for a non-profit or manage a staff.  

Seeking that knowledge in Future Chefs’ early days, she enrolled in a year-long certificate program at Boston University in non-profit management and leadership. 

She realized that, although she had never called herself an entrepreneur, that is exactly what she was and what she had always been. She launched Future Chefs with a $200,000 annual budget just before the 2008 recession. 

When the economy crashed, years of resilience served her well. She kept the program going on the slimmest of margins until she could build on its success. Today, Future Chefs operates on a $1.9 million budget and offers year-round instruction in a beautiful Blue Hill Avenue space that opened during the pandemic. 

“If you’re doing the thing you’re supposed to do, doors are going to open for you,” Elka said. 

CONFIDENCE TRANSLATES TO THE CLASSROOM

Incredibly, most of the students chopping vegetables and whisking marinades were only days into the program. Grouped in small teams, they prepared full meals in the Chop Challenge, a timed competition. 

Judges included professional chefs, advanced Future Chefs students and special guests including Alexandra Valdez, the Executive Director of Mayor Wu’s Office of Women’s Advancement.

No matter which team wins, all of the students applaud for one another. Most of them don’t know anyone in the program when they join, but friendships form quickly. Before the cooking begins, they gather around a table to talk about what’s bugging them and what they’re grateful for. 

“What happens here for every student is that they become a part of a community of people that are learning and growing,” Elka said.

With instructors who become mentors, they have a place to gain mastery. Elka explained that it becomes a kind of muscle memory. You learn something, practice, and master it. Experiencing success in that process teaches students to trust themselves and their abilities. 

The confidence they develop at Future Chefs serves them in the future and often improves their academic performance. 

“It’s a way of getting your mind ready to learn,” Elka said. 

Elka also pointed out that for students who ultimately pursue culinary careers, the program facilitates valuable networking opportunities and problem-solving.

“They’re able to step up an say, ‘I can do this’ and negotiate for a decent salary. And if the culture is toxic in the kitchen, they can talk about why it is and figure out what to do about it,” Elka said.

“KNIFE SKILLS AND LIFE SKILLS”

Advania Veiga, a sophomore at Boston Latin Academy, said she was shy and nervous when she enrolled in Future Chefs a year ago. She credits the program for teaching her “knife skills and life skills” and helping her become comfortable speaking up.

“I was really nervous talking in big groups of people. Even small groups of people. But I’ve totally learned to put that aside,” Veiga said. 

She is particularly excited about the pop-up restaurant the students will open and run next month.  

Veiga was part of the last summer’s pop-up which received rave reviews from patrons. Students are responsible for planning the lunch and dinner menus, taking the orders and making the food. 

This year’s pop-up will run on August 9-10 in the Future Chefs space at 305 Blue Hill Avenue. 

LEARNING KEY LIFE SKILLS

In the last minutes of the Chop Challenge, Elka watched young people who are focused, engaged and energized.

“The dream was that this room would be filled with young people doing their thing. And they are!” Elka said. 

With praise for her instructors, she is quick to point out that the dream is only possible with teamwork — one of the key life skills students learn in the program. 

“It’s a social contract to be here for our young people. We all need to do it together. And this is a gathering place for that,” she said. “It’s wonderful.”