City Council officially accepted a $1,801,729 grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and a $225,216 grant from the State of Nevada Grant Matching Program for a proposed Culinary Training and Leadership Academy in the Historic Westside. In partnership with Clark County Juvenile Justice Services and The Chef Jeff Project, the training and leadership academy will be built to change the lives of youth across Clark County referred by the Youth Parole Bureau, Clark County Department of Juvenile Justice Services, Child Welfare Services, the Harbor-Juvenile Assessment Centers, directly from the Judiciary and/or youth who are interested in culinary arts training. The city’s match contribution is $112,608 contribution from the general fund.
The academy focuses on disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline by decriminalizing the youth’s mindset and changing their value systems through guest speakers, wrap-around services, training classes and providing healthy food options. The grants will fund two mobile kitchens in the Historic Westside and East Las Vegas to provide an opportunity to service additional low-income neighborhoods within Clark County that have been classified as food deserts, where residents do not have access to healthy food options, nor educational space to hold classes.
Jeff Henderson, aka “Chef Jeff,” is the founder and executive chef of the Chef Jeff Project. Jeff started his culinary career in the unlikeliest of places – prison. While serving nearly ten years he discovered his passion for cooking, which led to executive chef positions at some of the top hotels and resorts in the country. In 2020, he launched as a pilot The Chef Jeff Project in North Las Vegas. The grants will be used to expand the model that is currently successfully being delivered in North Las Vegas, broadening it to serve all of Clark County.
The Culinary Training and Leadership Academy is an intensive 6-8 week program that provides basic culinary, hospitality, and pre-vocational training. Partnerships with various local organizations are established to ensure youth have access to full wrap-around services and receive the support necessary to ensure their success, teaching them that seeking assistance with mental health and social services is important. This culinary, hospitality and life skills program focuses on helping youth who are justice-involved or in the foster care system develop pre-vocational skills, acquire basic culinary training and obtain assistance with job placement.
This project will launch in January 2023, with the first class expected in 2024.