Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is rolling out a new community project tied to Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs – the CTE Express food truck.
Staffed by CCPS students in food service based CTE programs, the truck will be at upcoming events featuring students preparing and serving food items. The truck will make its debut on Monday, Oct. 7, as part of the CCPS Lunch and Learn staff event for Hispanic Heritage Month at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building in La Plata.
The truck is a decommissioned school bus that was converted into a restaurant on wheels. Students enrolled in the Culinary Arts CTE program at North Point High School, as well as those in the ProStart: Food and Beverage Management pathway, obtain work-based learning hours while working in the truck. These students will manage aspects of the food service industry such as food ordering, menu preparation, customer service, cost analysis and community engagement.
While the Culinary Arts program is limited to North Point students and is an acceptance-based CTE program, students can enroll in the ProStart food and beverage pathway at their zoned high school since each CCPS high school offers the program.
As CCPS continues to roll out the project, community members will be able to use the food truck at events in the future. Community members can contact Chris Willis, culinary arts instructor at North Point, at cwillis@ccboe.com or the ProStart instructor at the specific schools. A listing of ProStart instructors by school is below.
- Henry E. Lackey High School: Susan Patterson, spatterson@ccboe.com.
- La Plata High School: Mary Winkler, mwinkler@ccboe.com.
- Maurice J. McDonough High School: Shelby Dyer, sdyer@ccboe.com.
- North Point High School: Jillian Stackhouse, jstackhouse@ccboe.com.
- St. Charles High School: Robert Paul, rpaul@ccboe.com.
- Thomas Stone High School: De’anna Burris, dburris@ccboe.com.
- Westlake High School: Diana Regis, dregis@ccboe.com.
A tentative CTE Express schedule is below.
- Monday, Oct. 7, 11 a.m., Hispanic Heritage Month event, CCPS administrative offices.
- Culinary arts students from North Point will provide service.
- Payment is by card only.
- Saturday, Oct. 12, Henry E. Lackey High School craft fair, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Lackey ProStart students will provide service.
- This event is open to the public.
- Payment is by card only.
- Saturday, Oct. 26, Thomas Stone High School Trunk or Treat event, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Stone ProStart students will provide service.
- This event is open to the public.
- Payment is by card only.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,765 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event. CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).