Culinary Arts
Culinary Arts
Knife skillsto runningthe kitchen.
Learn technique, timing, and how the front and back of the house actually work together. You'll train toward ServSafe and the ProStart Certificate of Achievement, both issued by the National Restaurant Association.
$62,470 median
What chefs and head cooks earn nationally. You start on the line and work up.
2 Years
Junior and senior year. A senior-only option is available, but you'll miss a full year of kitchen time and credential prep.
No Tuition
Lab fees are typically a few hundred dollars. Payment plans are available.
College Credit
Earn college credit toward a degree while you are still in high school.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Chefs and Head Cooks, May 2025 wage data. Chef roles typically take five or more years of kitchen experience to reach. Cooks earn a median of $36,640.
Credentials You Can Earn
Each one is earned by passing the exam. We get you ready. The score is yours.
NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION
ServSafe
- Safe cooking and holding temperatures
- Preventing cross-contamination
- Allergen control
- Cleaning and sanitizing
- Running a shift as person in charge
NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION
ProStart
- Knife skills and cooking technique
- Menu planning and food cost
- Purchasing and inventory
- Service and front of house
- Mentored hours in a real kitchen
WORKPLACE READINESS
Soft Skills Pro
- Communicating clearly with a team
- Working with others on a deadline
- Showing up and being reliable
- Solving problems on your feet
- Managing your own time
ServSafe is what a restaurant looks for before it lets you run a shift. ProStart is a national industry credential that requires mentored hours in a working kitchen, not just classroom time.
Commercial Kitchen. Real Technique.
You build technique station by station, on commercial equipment, the way it is actually done. Line speed comes later, on the job. This is where the foundation comes from.
- Knife skills and station setup
- Stocks, sauces, and cooking methods
- Baking and pastry fundamentals
- Plating and presentation
- Menu planning and food cost
- Purchasing, receiving, and inventory
- Sanitation and safe food handling
- Working the front of the house
In the kitchenYou'll work multiple stations outfitted with commercial equipment — the same gear as a restaurant downtown, not the stove at your house.
Why WCCC
You cook for real customers
You'll cook for WCCC staff, guests, and visiting VIPs. Real people, eating what you made, telling you what they thought of it.
Keep your home school
You're still part of your home high school. Graduate with your class, and keep playing sports, going to prom, and showing up for homecoming.
Steady demand
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects chef and head cook jobs to grow 7% through 2035, much faster than average. Across all cooking roles, about 393,200 openings are projected every year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 projections.Where This Can Lead
This program is a head start, not the finish line. When you graduate, you'll have real options:
Start working
Prep and line cook, baker, or catering work in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and schools
Keep training
Culinary school, community college, or a kitchen apprenticeship where you earn while you learn
Keep building
Sous chef, head chef, or food service manager. That takes years in a kitchen, not months
Take a Look Around
Applications open December 2.
See the kitchen before you apply.