At Grayslake District 127, culinary education is getting a serious upgrade. Gone are the days when home economics was just about baking cookies. Today, thanks to the vision of teacher Tiffany Coffee and a community of industry partners, the culinary program is preparing students for a buffet of career paths and life beyond high school.
“We’re bringing industry and home together,” says Coffee. “Students are learning marketing, sales, IT, food styling, photography, cost analysis, and even the chemistry of food as medicine.”
Curious students are encouraged to ask questions, explore unique interests, and get hands-on with professional-grade equipment. From producing catered events to developing personal portfolios, they’re gaining real-world experience in a collaborative and dynamic environment.
And yes, they’re printing on cookies.
What started as a fun idea turned into a cross-disciplinary, collaborative production line. Culinary interns teamed up with design-minded classmates to create custom fondant cookie toppers. With each cookie, students sharpened skills in design, precision, teamwork, and entrepreneurship, while supplying treats for district events like Navig8 Lake and school concessions.
Then came a game-changing moment. Victor Cashman, an industry partner and advocate for the program, was venting in his workplace break room about the challenges schools face in affording high-quality culinary equipment. Unbeknownst to him, two visiting equipment reps, on a U.S. tour from Italy, were sitting nearby and took note.
A week later, a professional-grade combi oven arrived on the loading dock with Victor’s name on it. He hadn’t ordered it, but the surprise gift was real.
“I started crying,” he said. “This is the most generous gift I’ve ever received.”
That oven doesn’t just cook, it steams, bakes, and teaches. Students are learning to program and maintain the equipment, even collaborating with engineering classmates to explore its internal systems and technology.
Through community partnerships, guest speakers, and a growing internship network —including Sysco, Quest Food Management Services, Woodland Foods, and the College of Lake County —students are discovering opportunities far beyond the kitchen. From logistics to product development, quality assurance to recipe writing, their passions are taking shape in unexpected ways.
As D127 students are launching their futures, some graduates have pursued elite culinary schools. Others are investing in small businesses. And all leave with more than recipes; they go with resiliency, creativity, career inspiration, through authentic learning, and diverse career pathway experiences.
The next big dream? A student-run food truck, where entrepreneurship meets community pride.
“We want this program to grow into something even bigger,” says Coffee. “When students see what they’re capable of, they realize they don’t have to wait for opportunity. They can build it, right here.”