In a magnanimous gesture, Jennetta earmarked the $1,000 prize to provide a scholarship for a deserving TCD student who wishes to continue his or her education at Kendall College. Gratified by her generosity, Kendall matched that $1,000 to bring the total scholarship to $2.000.

In 2008, TCD alumna and national ProStart winner Jenny Henske returned to the school to speak and inspire current students in the program. By then a student at Kendall College, she shared Kendall’s commitment to sustainability and asked what TCD was doing to become more green. Thus, the seed was planted and Jennetta has been nurturing it ever since.

The journey started in earnest after CAFÉ’s Leadership Conference that year when Jennetta attended a workshop Kendall conducted about sustainability and how to integrate it into curriculum and operations. With that foundation, Jennetta embarked on her own research focused on sustainable farming, products and working conditions and later that year conducted a round-robin educational fair on sustainability.

“I talked green with everyone that would listen [at TCD] and gradually they started to bring their ideas back,” says Jennetta. “That year we made numerous small steps toward sustainability, but it was gratifying to watch them all add up. However, most exciting was an idea our landscape management instructor brought to the table—a tilapia aquaculture project that continues to this day.”

The aquaculture project was inspired by a similar program conducted at the Chicago High School for Agriculture Science. While there were some start-up costs for tanks and equipment, Jennetta says educational experience has been invaluable. An interdepartmental learning experience that includes both culinary and landscape students, this project provides practical experience in aquaculture, fish butchery and cookery. All is taught under the school’s guiding principle, “Be respectful of food, environment and each other.”

Now at the beginning of the third year in a sustainability journey, each TCD student attends an overview of the reasons and benefits of living a more earth-friendly life. Students are asked to provide their input and help set new sustainability goals for the year. Sustainability also is interwoven across the curriculum in areas such as purchasing, farming, labor and field trip.

Established in 1974, The Technology Center of DuPage serves area juniors and seniors from 23 participating high schools under the direction of the DuPage Area Occupational Education System. Each TCD program has an advisory committee whose members represent business or industry in that career field. They provide advice and assistance in maintaining occupational relevance for each program.

Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, is dean of Kendall College’s School of Culinary Arts and vice president of Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Culinary Arts. Kendall College sponsors the annual CAFÉ/Kendall annual Green Award.

Photo caption: Faith Jennetta (l.) of Technology Center of DuPage receives the 2010 CAFÉ/Kendall Green Award from Peggy Ryan of Kendall College.