KitchenSage: Its Next Recipe (For Success)
Kitchen Sage relocated to Prep Space in late December, leaving the Basilica Center where Kitchen Sage operated for five years. In 2016 Kitchen Sage officially became a workforce development training of Steepletown. After looking at various options, there are several reasons why Prep Space was chosen as the location to operate Kitchen Sage, at least […]
Growing Our Own
Caleb participated in Steepletown’s Kitchen Sage training back in 2015. After the six week training, he was offered a paid externship at the Blue Dog Tavern. Upon completing the externship, Caleb was offered part-time employment working in their kitchen. He started off doing dishes and light food prep, with a little bit of line cooking. […]
It’s All About the Children
A typical day at the Early Learning Center (ELC) in Grand Rapids begins with the first set of little feet walking through the double doors. During this time of the year goodbyes and hugs are said in between a winter breeze and amidst the rustling of little coats, gloves, and winter boots. However, amongst the […]
Q&A with Johntae
What are your earliest memories of Steepletown? What was it that you came here for originally? My earliest memory of Steepletown was from when I was in 5th grade, I had to meet with my probation officer at the Steepletown Center. I wasn’t in any Steepletown programs yet. My friend at the time stole some […]
From Training to Career
Michael Lovely learned to cook from an early age. He was raised by a single mother who worked as an RN and so Michael, being one of the oldest children of five, spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen. His mother also battled with addiction which required him and his older sister to […]
GED Graduate Gains Employment at EPS
In one month’s time, Rylan earned his GED at Steepletown. This young man had been out of school for almost 3 years before coming to Steepletown, and shared that he had little interest in returning to a traditional academic environment to earn a secondary school credential. He explained that he had been working for this father’s […]
Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen – NEVER!
Kitchen Sage is back to production for another year of preschool, feeding nearly 350 preschoolers every day. However, what makes Kitchen Sage unique is that it is a training kitchen for those interested in pursuing a career in the food industry. In 2016 Steepletown received approval from the State Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs […]
Steepletown is “Going Pro” According to Michigan’s Job Training Standards
In the summer of 2019 the Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship Training Program was launched. Steepletown worked with the Office of Apprenticeship in Lansing to submit the Standards which were approved by the Department of Labor. This apprenticeship training integrates classroom instruction taken at GRCC with on-the-job learning that is guided by a Mentor Teacher; the […]
Helping Grandma With The Chores
Steepletown has continued to see an increase in the number of Kent County Senior Millage clients served this past year. In 2017 the number was 103 unduplicated clients; this increased to 119 last year, and for the first six months of 2019 that number is 135. Part of the reason for the increase is that […]
Mise en Place
“Put in Place”- a French culinary phrase which means “everything in its place”. Camp Kitchen Sage took its aprons and knives on the road this summer to partner with the Ionia Intermediate School District and Michigan Rehabilitation Services to offer a summer camp focused on developing work-based skills. And while it took a […]