CHICAGO, IL (March 12, 2025) – We are thrilled to share that the Foundation for Culinary Arts has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Independent Education Consultants Association Foundation (IECA) in support of our Yes, Chef! Culinary Camps!

This generous investment helps expand access to high-quality culinary education for high school students from disinvested communities across Chicago. Through Yes, Chef!, students gain hands-on training in essential cooking techniques, kitchen safety, nutrition, and teamwork—while also building confidence, leadership, and life skills that extend far beyond the kitchen.

Each year, Yes, Chef! provides five in-person camp experiences, including our signature 5-day summer camp and four seasonal one-day camps. Students work alongside professional chefs in a commercial kitchen environment, receive all ingredients and tools needed for instruction, and take home essential kitchen equipment—such as pots, knives, and supplies—so they can continue cooking and practicing at home.

Because of the IECA Foundation’s support it helps strengthen our ability to:

• Remove financial barriers so students can participate at no cost

• Provide professional-grade ingredients and instruction

• Equip students with take-home culinary kits

• Foster pathways to post-secondary education and careers in the culinary arts

For twenty five years the IECA Foundation has served as the charitable arm of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, the nation’s leading professional organization for educational advisors in private practice. The IECA Foundation leverages knowledge, professional skills and funds provided by IECA members, sponsors, and donors to help underserved students map pathways to success.

We are deeply grateful to the IECA Foundation for recognizing the power of experiential learning and investing in the next generation of chefs, leaders, and changemakers. Together, we are helping students say “Yes, Chef!” to new opportunities, new skills, and new futures.

To learn more about Yes, Chef! Culinary Camps or to support our work, visit f4ca.org.