Professional Development for High School Instructors:

Connecting Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management with Sustainable Agriculture Systems

The primary goal of this project is to increase the number of secondary educational instructors trained in food and agricultural sciences. This project shows culinary and hospitality instructors how to integrate agricultural literacy, agricultural concepts, and sustainability into their classes. The School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management at New Mexico State University developed five online course with in-person immersive summer workshops for high school culinary arts and hospitality instructors. The five courses were 1) Introduction to Agriculture and Culinary Connections, 2) Purchasing and Supply Chain Management with Emphasis on Local and Sustainable foods, 3) Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle in Foodservice and Hotels, 4) Agricultural Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and 5) Agricultural, Culinary, and Rural Tourism. They focused on ensuring the next generation of culinarians and hospitality managers have the skills needed to effectively and responsibly use resources from the producer to the end-user and consumers.

Sixty-six teachers from 13 states divided into three cohorts took at least one course, 51 attended one of the immersive workshops, and 42 completed all the courses. Please explore this website, especially the Grant Resources and Lesson Plan tabs, to learn more about the course topics and view lesson plans available to use in any culinary, hospitality, or family and consumer sciences classroom. 

Due to the success of the program and excess grant funds, we are pleased to offer an additional class and workshop for a fourth cohort.

 

The asynchronous online class, “Introduction to Agriculture and Culinary Connections” will take place from February 8 – April 18, 2027. Participants will receive a $250 stipend for completing the course.

 

The immersive workshop will take place on the NMSU main campus and various locations throughout Las Cruces, New Mexico from June 5 – 11, 2027. The grant pays for individual rooms at the Courtyard by Marriott, Las Cruces next to campus, most meals, and all workshop supplies. Participants will receive a stipend of $1200 after the workshop to help reimburse them for travel costs, other meals, and incidentals.

 

To apply to join Cohort Four of the grant program, please scan this QR code or use this link to complete the Qualtrics application form. The priority application deadline is November 20, 2026. If accepted to the program, it is expected that you will commit to participating in both the class and the workshop.

 

Application link - https://acesnmsu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bK2FyC5B7jPUhFA

 

QR Code


 

Sorry, previous grant participants are not eligible to apply.

 

 

Cohort Schedule

Apply now to be a part of Cohort Four – the final group funded by this grant!

 

Online Course

Monday, February 8 – Sunday, April 18, 2027

The class is 90% asynchronous online. You can work at your own pace, but there are due dates for discussions and the final lesson plan assignment. There will be two synchronous Zoom sessions with guest speakers and other optional Zoom office hours available.

 

Immersive Workshop

All cohort participants are expected to attend the Immersive Workshop in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Saturday, June 5 or Morning of Sunday, June 6 – arrival in Las Cruces

Sunday, June 6 – 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm - Workshop Orientation and Opening Reception

Monday, June 7 – Thursday, June 10 – Workshop activities from 7:30 or 8:00 am to 7:00 pm daily. The full schedule will be available mid-May.

Friday, June 11 – Departure from Las Cruces


This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, AFRI Agricultural Workforce Training Priority Area, award #2023-67037-39940.

For any questions please contact Dr. Jean Hertzman at jhertzma@nmsu.edu, 575-646-4786