A Summer of Learning and Service
The kitchen at the Ottawa Catholic School Board’s Catholic Education Centre (CEC) came alive with purpose as a group of high school co-op students spent their summer learning the art of cooking and using their skills to make a meaningful difference in the community. Guided by Algonquin College chefs Wes Wilkinson and Chris Lundy, eleven students gained hands-on culinary experience while preparing hundreds of nutritious meals each week.
Not only did they serve affordable, restaurant-quality dishes to CEC staff, but they also cooked and packaged meals for the Caldwell Family Centre, a local non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the impact of poverty and food insecurity in Ottawa.
The Caldwell Family Centre provided food, resources, and compassionate support to individuals and families in need, helping them live with dignity, stability, and hope. Through this project, students learned that the meals they prepared were more than just food. They were acts of care that nourished both body and spirit.
A Partnership Rooted in Purpose
This initiative grew from a partnership between the OCSB’s Intermediate and Secondary Student Success Department and the Skills Council of Canada, an organization committed to creating experiential learning opportunities for youth. With support from a government grant secured by the Skills Council, the program offered students a unique opportunity to blend education, service, and skill development.
More Than Kitchen Skills
For these students, the lessons extended well beyond learning how to chop, season, and plate. Under the mentorship of Chefs Wilkinson and Lundy, they discovered how food could bring people together, foster empathy, and strengthen communities. Each student developed confidence, teamwork, and practical job skills while learning the deeper lesson that their talents could have a lasting impact on others.
This initiative embodied the OCSB’s Spiritual Theme, “Open Doors, Build Bridges, Nourish New Beginnings.” It opened doors to new opportunities for learning, built bridges through service and compassion, and nourished new beginnings for the families and individuals receiving support.
Why It Mattered
Programs like this demonstrated how education could extend far beyond the classroom. Students left the kitchen with valuable culinary experience, employability skills, and a profound sense of purpose. They saw firsthand how their work could serve the greater good, feeding not only bodies but hearts and spirits.
At the same time, families supported by the Caldwell Family Centre benefited from nutritious, freshly prepared meals crafted with care and kindness. This initiative reflected the power of partnership, mentorship, and meaningful learning. It showed what happened when education, leadership, and compassion came together, reminding us that sometimes the most lasting lessons began not in a classroom but in a kitchen filled with purpose.
