The Culinary Academy of Las Vegas, the operator of the Springs Cafe at the Springs Preserve, hosted the First Grade Food Critics, a movement to promote nutrition education, career awareness and academic development among children in at-risk schools, to taste-test two new menu items for the 2012 Summer Food Service Program.

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a federally funded program administered by Nevada’s Department of Education providing free nutritious meals to children in low-income areas Monday through Friday during the summer. The Academy, the largest SFSP sponsor in Nevada, provides meals to community centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, housing developments, and churches in North Las Vegas, Las Vegas and Henderson. Last summer the academy prepared 2,300 meals a day (125,000 total meals) and delivered them to 33 sites. The academy has received two Western Region Sunshine Awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: in 2008 for Improving the Nutrition Quality and Appeal of Meals and in 2010 for Increasing Participation and Community Partnerships.

The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City announces a co-venture with Russian-based Dve Palochki restaurant group to open a series of culinary schools under the name SWISSAM Hospitality Business School. The first school is scheduled to open in St. Petersburg in September 2012 and a second location in Moscow during 2013. The third partner in the SWISSAM venture is IMI, a hospitality college based in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Dve Palochki, which operates more than 35 pan-Asian eateries in Russia, believes that the culinary- and hospitality-education market is underdeveloped in its country. The SWISSAM schools are designed to address that need through training students using curriculum from ICE for careers anywhere in the world, from hotels and resorts to high-end restaurants, caterers and cruise ships.

Culinary Institute of America (CIA) students Aubrey King and Jose Frayre are the two most recent recipients of The Jones Dairy Farm Scholarship Fund at the CIA, said Philip Jones, sixth-generation president of Jones Dairy Farm and a professionally trained chef.

Established in May 2006, the Jones Dairy Farm Scholarship Fund supports three scholarships each year. CIA juniors and seniors pursuing baccalaureate degrees in Culinary Arts Management can apply for the scholarship by submitting a short essay and original recipe using a Jones’ product. Awards are restricted to students with a demonstrated financial need and G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher. More information about the program is found at www.jonesdairyfarm.com

Brendan Walsh, a celebrated chef in New York City and around the country before joining the faculty of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), has been promoted to serve as the college’s dean of culinary arts. In his new position, he oversees curriculum development and management of the CIA’s culinary-arts education and is responsible for the quality of academic programming, services and staffing of culinary-arts courses.

“Chef Walsh has demonstrated himself to be a consummate professional with a strong commitment to the college,” said CIA Provost Mark Erickson, CMC. “He is the perfect person to fill this important role at the college—one that is responsible for keeping the CIA’s culinary education unparalleled and will ensure the continued high value of a CIA degree.”

A 1980 CIA graduate, Walsh returned to his alma mater in 2008 as a faculty member and, later, associate dean. Before that, he was the owner and executive chef of Elms Restaurant & Tavern in Ridgefield, Conn., North Street Grill in Great Neck, N.Y., and Coyote Grill in Island Park, N.Y., as well as the founder and president of Chef Brendan Walsh Services/FWF Consulting. Earlier in his career, Walsh held top positions at highly regarded restaurants throughout the United States, including executive chef of Arizona 206 in New York City, Water’s Edge in Long Island City, N.Y., and Ancient Mariner in Florida, Connecticut and New York. He was also chef of Gotham Bar & Grill in New York City and sous chef at Stars in San Francisco.

The first-ever Bite of Apprenticeship program, sponsored by the Washington State Chefs Association, brought in $5,000 in scholarship funds, attracted media attention and recognized the work of Seattle-area culinary students and apprentices.

The apprenticeship program provides 700 hours of classroom work for those already employed in the foodservice industry. Apprentices are sponsored by their restaurants and attend classes at Renton Technical College in addition to their restaurant work. Apprentices from Joey’s Restaurant, Earl’s Restaurant and No Junk – Good Food, Inc., a school catering company, and the Columbia Tower Club participated in the event, which offered bites of an amazing variety of preparations.

Kendall College announces that Chef Jose Garces, a 1996 graduate of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, Food Network Iron Chef and James Beard Award winner, will deliver the commencement address at its 2012 graduation ceremony, to be held on June 24 at Chicago Symphony Center Orchestra Hall. The college will award degrees to more than 400 students in the Schools of Business, Culinary Arts, Education and Hospitality Management.

“I’m proud to welcome Chef Garces as our 2012 commencement speaker,” said Emily Knight, president of Kendall College. “As a Kendall College alum, Jose is not only an inspiration to our students who are on the verge of beginning their professional careers, but also a testament to our outstanding faculty and staff’s commitment to preparing our students for success.”