Zurquí Youth Training Center: Culinary Education as a Pathway to Social Reintegration

On June 7, 2021, Autóktono formed an alliance with Costa Rica’s Ministry of Justice and Peace to offer the first course of its kind in Sustainable and Healthy Gastronomy to young people deprived of liberty at the Zurquí Youth Training Center in Heredia, with the objective of developing the skills students need to enter the gastronomy and hospitality labor market.

The Sustainable and Healthy Gastronomy course, created by Autóktono’s co-founders, Randy Siles and Carlos Coriano, focused on sustainable and healthy gastronomy, Agro-Marine, and food sovereignty. The curriculum covered kitchen organization, hygiene, food handling, mise en place, culinary technology, cooking methods, nutrition and health, food preparation, and efficiency.

Impact

The training lasted six months, with theoretical and virtual classes during the first three months, followed by in-person training during the final three months. Five young people were trained as cooks to support their social reintegration by opening doors to employment opportunities; two completed the course successfully.