The 414 ATE program gives students hands-on experience in entrepreneurship while showing them how to turn their passions into successful businesses.
Ann Marie Sims, Bay View’s culinary arts teacher, said the program teaches students much more than cooking.
“They’re going to be learning entrepreneurship, they’re going to be learning management,
they’re going to be learning financial literacy, they’re going to be learning everything that comes with running and operating a business,” Sims said.
Through the program, students combine art, creativity, and practical experience. Field trips to restaurants and professional kitchens allow them to see how successful businesses operate and what it takes to run one.
Students also learn by observing others and thinking about how they can improve on what they see.
Frederick Young, a senior in the Milwaukee Public Schools culinary program, said the experience helps students discover what they want to do after high school.
“An opportunity for us to explore our passions and our art — what we want to do later on in life,” Young said. “When we go on trips to other businesses or culinary kitchens, we see their setup and how they work and how they run it, and we take what they do, and we kind of see what we can do better.”
For Sims, the program is the realization of a vision to help students work hard and pursue their goals.
Throughout the event, students participated in business-related activities and learned how to manage money and make smart financial decisions.
The day was filled with energy as students and community members enjoyed food and drinks, listened to music, and played games such as cornhole.
Despite the windy weather, students and staff kept the celebration going. They danced, sang, and created an atmosphere that felt like an outdoor concert.
The unveiling of the bright red 414 ATE food truck marked an exciting milestone for Bay View.
With the launch of the food truck, students now have the opportunity to experience what it is like to operate a real business and apply the skills they have learned in the classroom.
