PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Providence Career and Technical Academy (PCTA) added a new piece to its culinary program.
Their new food truck, PCTA’s Good Eats & Treat, was made possible through the Rhode Island Department of Education’s (RIDE) Menu for Success Food Truck Initiative.
The school district says the goal of the food truck is to give students a hands-on experience to prepare them for the culinary workforce. Graphic design students will help with the exterior design of the truck and mechanic students will keep up with the maintenance.
The school held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the food truck on Wednesday alongside Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez and school board president Erlin Rogel. This ceremony also included a tour of the new culinary truck.
“Initiatives like the Menu for Success program are equipping Providence youth to become the next generation of artists, chefs and entrepreneurs,” Smiley said.
“When we empower our students with multidisciplinary opportunities to develop real-world skills and showcase their creativity, we are living up to our name as the creative capital of the nation,” he continued.
RIDE’s Menu for Success Food Truck Initiative was announced in December 2022 and gave the state $1.625 million to fund 15 schools.
This program aims to promote entrepreneurship, culinary arts, automotive learning and graphic design.