The smell of sautéed onions and spices filled the culinary lab at Garfield CLC as students moved between stovetops and cutting boards, plating dishes they prepared from scratch. The class is part of the school’s culinary arts pathway, where students learn kitchen fundamentals — from knife skills to food safety — while exploring careers in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
A new partnership between Garfield CLC and the Greater Akron Chamber aims to bring those classroom lessons into real-world settings. The collaboration will connect students in Garfield’s career academies, part of Akron Public Schools’ College and Career Academies program, with local businesses, offering mentorship, hands-on learning and potential pathways to jobs in the Akron region.
Those students include Serenity Haslam, a senior. “I chose culinary because I like service, and at one point during my freshman year I wanted to be a chef,” she said. “I like being able to really get into the industry.”
In the culinary lab class, students practice running a restaurant. They create menus, write recipes and prepare dishes.
Haslam hopes programs like the new partnership will create more opportunities for students to gain experience outside of school.
“We get great experience here, but being able to work in other businesses and really get out there would be amazing,” she said.
The chamber will serve as the named academy partner under the title Greater Akron Chamber Academy of Innovation and Industry, supporting several career pathways at Garfield CLC, including advanced manufacturing, construction technology, culinary arts and patient care.
The partnership comes after Acme Fresh Market stepped back from its role as the academy’s primary partner to focus more on supporting the culinary program.
“We’ve been looking for the last year and a half for a partner that can fulfill the needs across all of our programs,” said Clayton Cundiff, academy coach at Garfield CLC. It can be difficult to find a single organization able to support such a wide range of career pathways, he added.
From Nashville to Akron
That’s when the Greater Akron Chamber decided to step in.
The concept of College and Career Academies took shape in Nashville and later was adopted in several districts across Northeast Ohio, including Akron Public Schools.
The model organizes students into career-themed pathways, where they take specialized courses and gain hands-on experience tied to industries such as health care, manufacturing, construction, criminal justice and culinary arts. Each academy partners with local businesses and community organizations to provide mentorship, workplace exposure and real-world projects.
“Every year hundreds of people from around the country come to Akron to see how this works and how they can apply it in their communities,” said Steve Millard, the chamber’s president and CEO.
The partnership allows the chamber to connect a broader network of businesses with the school, Millard said.
“In every one of those areas, there’s a gap in qualified applicants,” he said. “We’re trying to help students understand where those opportunities are and how they can step into those careers.”
The partnership is not about donating money — it’s about time and expertise. Partners support students through activities such as industry field trips, job shadowing and internships, an effort Millard said depends on involvement from local businesses.
United Way of Summit & Medina also works with partners to address barriers that can prevent students from participating in work-based learning opportunities, including transportation to internships and after-school jobs.
The organization’s involvement is tied to broader goals focused on improving outcomes for students in APS, including third-grade reading performance, graduation rates and college and career readiness, said Sarah Palace, United Way’s director of college and career readiness.
“We leverage our connections in the community to bring business partners to the table and provide real-world experiences for students,” Palace said.
How the career academies work
In ninth grade, students explore possible fields through a freshman seminar class and a schoolwide career expo that brings dozens of professionals into the building.
“We’re just trying to show students what’s out there,” Cundiff said. “What potential careers look like and what those pathways could lead to.”
By 10th grade, students begin focusing on a specific pathway and participate in industry field experiences that allow them to see what those careers look like outside the classroom. The experiences become more hands-on in 11th grade, as students gain deeper exposure in their chosen fields.
By senior year, the goal is to prepare students to enter the workforce. Students practice interview skills through mock interviews with local professionals and may take part in internships, mentorships or early job placements before graduation.
