Excel Academy Culinary Arts students cook up a storm for homeless residents of St. John’s Hospice

(Philadelphia – November 6, 2011)

Students from Camelot Schools’ Excel Academy South prepared for Thanksgiving by cooking and serving lunch to the homeless residents of St. John’s Hospice in Center City.

“These kids believe it is a privilege to come here and cook for these men,” said Excel South’s Executive Director Kevin Marx. “That’s why after serving them last year we decided to make this event an annual tradition.”

The students prepared chicken and rice soup, hot roast beef sandwiches, vegetables and desert for the 20 homeless men who live at the hospice. The culinary arts program is in its second year at Excel and getting into the class has become a status symbol for the students.

“The culinary arts class has definitely increased attendance,” said Marx. “The kids in the program don’t want to miss a class.”

“Some of last year’s graduates went on to study culinary arts in college, and some of this year’s students are also applying to programs.”

Camelot has 40 students enrolled in the program this year, including 15 second year students.

Teacher Raul Rivera pointed out those culinary arts skills spill over into other subjects. Math, for instance.

“Sometimes, we have a recipe and we cut down the proportions, so they have to figure that out. Or sometimes we expand them, and they have to do the math.” Rivera said he also teaches them planning skills – developing menus and budgeting.

Camelot’s Excel Academies are geared forstudents who have either left schoolorare on the verge of leaving school fordisciplinaryoracademic reasons. The schools’ accelerated academic program enables them to graduate within three years. Excel also requires each student to have a post-graduation plan of action.

Although Camelot partners with the School District of Philadelphia, Marx said that 90 percent of the students entered the school through a referral from a friend or former student. There are two Excel Academies in Northeast Philadelphia, and there is a waiting list to enter the program.

All Camelot Schools foster community service through cleaning up the surrounding neighborhood or feeding the homeless. Marx said that the students will be returning to St. John’s Hospice in January to prepare another meal and then to serve the more than 300 community members who line up every day to receive lunch.