Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) Alumni Awarded Culinary Exchange Scholarships for a 3-Month Internship in Restaurants in Madrid
The second edition of the Olesay/C-CAP Internship Scholarship will train seven young chefs in Spanish gastronomy in the city of Madrid, Spain. This year, the program also aims to promote Madrid as a foodie destination.
Alabaster, Álbora, A’Barra, Club Allard, Coque, Santceloni and Gaytán are the seven restaurants participating in this year’s edition. Six of the restaurants are Michelin-starred restaurants. The official presentation of the program was held at Kitchen Club, Madrid, on February 6, 2017.
The scholarship covers all travel, housing, and health insurance during the students’ stay in Spain, from the beginning of April through the end of June. The three-month internship program will wrap up with a whirlwind tour of the region of Madrid, comprised of visits to agri-food producers, markets, restaurants, and wineries.
This is the second year that Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) and Olesay, a premier organization that promotes global education and international learning through internships, partner together. The year 2017 marks a significant increase in the number of scholarships awarded, from two to seven, thanks to the support of Madrid Region Tourism Association.
“We really wanted to give our students the opportunity to live in in a premier destination and Madrid has become an extraordinary innovative city in gastronomy,” says Carmen Flores, Olesay Director. “We are very excited to team up with Madrid Tourism Association this year to offer more scholarships to C-CAP alumni.”
Carlos Chaguaceda, Director General of Tourism in Madrid Region, says, “This initiative seeks the internationalization of Spanish gastronomy in the United States through training scholarships. We recognize that 23 percent of the tourists who come to the Madrid region do it for gastronomic reasons, because there are 19 restaurants with Michelin stars in the region.”
On February 28, Huertas, the East Village restaurant recognized for the wonderful cuisine of Spain by the New York Times, which awarded it two stars, will host the scholarships presentation to announce the incredible life-changing experiences that C-CAP alumni will have due to this partnership. The program will also include a discussion with Chef Jonah Miller and Karen Stabiner, author of Generation Chef, and the awards presentation by Carlos Chaguaceda, Director General Tourism and Carmen Flores, Olesay Director.
One week later, on March 8, Chef Mario Sandoval of Coque, a Michelin two-star restaurant in Madrid, and Carmen Flores will join C-CAP’s new President Karen Brosius, nearly 40 chefs, and over 800 guests to honor Michael Anthony, Executive Chef of Gramercy Tavern, Untitled, and Studio Café at the Whitney Museum of American Art, at the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) Annual Tasting Benefit at Chelsea Piers’ Pier Sixty. Chef Anthony will receive the C-CAP Honors Award, an award granted to individuals within the culinary industry for exceptional leadership and achievements. Funds raised at the event will support the national not-for-profit’s mission of providing job training, internships, competitions for culinary scholarships, college advising, college and career opportunities, lifetime career support, teacher training and curriculum enrichment in the culinary arts for disadvantaged youth.
Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, Olesay specializes in international internships and work-related experiences for students and foreigners in Spain. Its experiential learning programs highlight specialized sectors and target, among others, students in Culinary Arts and Gastronomy. Spain is at the forefront of world gastronomy, and Olesay’s Hospitality Program offers students the opportunity to intern in the most prestigious restaurants in Spain. Olesay´s competitive edge is enhanced by partnering with a network of private companies and institutions that are leaders in the field of innovation.
“C-CAP has an incredible system in place that, through education and training, prepares underserved youth for careers in the culinary and hospitality industries. The program is also of great benefit to chefs in our industry who are constantly looking for skilled and motivated employees,” says Marcus Samuelsson, C-CAP Board Co-Chair.
Since being founded by Richard Grausman in 1990, the organization has awarded over $50 million in scholarships, provided job training and internships, college and lifetime career support, teacher training and product and equipment donations to classrooms across the country. C-CAP works with over 17,000 students nationwide each year. Through C-CAP’s efforts, a large number of its students find rewarding careers in the food service and hospitality industry. Many alumni, now graduates of top culinary schools, are working in leading restaurants and hotels throughout the country.
For the fourth year in a row, C-CAP received the highest rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest evaluator of charities. For more information, visit the website at www.ccapinc.org, Instagram at @ccapinc, and Facebook at CCAPinc.
