Culinary program opens new career path for Hawaii students

Kauai high school juniors and seniors have until May 29 to apply for a five-day culinary course that ends with a certificate of achievement and continuing education hours from the Culinary Institute of the Pacific and the Culinary Institute of America. The program is aimed at students who want a direct path into food service, hospitality, and kitchen jobs tied to Hawaii’s tourism and local agriculture economy.

Cohort 22, called Culinary Foundations: Skills, Flavor and Creativity, is set for June 22-26, 2026. The class runs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is built around hands-on instruction in knife work, plating, and preparing a variety of dishes. The program is designed for current high school juniors and seniors, making it a summer option for students who want to keep building skills before graduation.

Cost should be a major factor for families weighing the opportunity. Full tuition scholarships valued at $1,500 per student are available for Cohorts 21 and 22 through the Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance CIP x CIA Workforce Development Scholarship Fund. The funding includes support from the State of Hawaii for Cohort 21 and the TSK Charitable Foundation for Cohort 22, and Native Hawaiian applicants can seek scholarships through the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Seats are limited, so the application window is the first hurdle students need to clear.

The training sits inside a broader workforce push that has been taking shape for years. The Culinary Institute of the Pacific and the Culinary Institute of America have described the alliance as a Hawaii-based effort centered on local ingredients and practical kitchen learning, with the Hawaii Culinary Education Foundation supporting culinary education through visiting chefs, workshops, master classes, mentoring, and student resources. That matters on Kauai, where hospitality remains one of the clearest routes into steady work, and where a program like this can turn classroom skills into jobs in hotels, restaurants, and food businesses across the islands.