Goldman Sachs Gives Provides Student Scholarships & Support for Groundbreaking Career Readiness Program in New York City
Goldman Sachs Gives, the New York City Department of Education and the Food Education Fund, a nonprofit that supports culinary-focused public high school students in New York City, announced a $600,000 grant to establish a new college scholarship fund and career readiness program for New York City high school students exploring culinary arts and hospitality. “New York would be nothing without its world-class restaurants, and we’re excited to see what the next generation of culinary students has to offer,” said David Solomon, chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. “We’re proud to partner with the New York City Department of Education and the Food Education Fund to help these talented students get the scholarship support, training and hands-on experience they need.”
This grant allows New York City high school students enrolled in a culinary- and technical education program to choose the college of their choice by bridging the gap between their financial package and the remaining cost to attend college. This new and differentiated program highlights Goldman Sachs Gives’ longstanding focus on need-based scholarships and financial aid with more than $450mm in grants deployed to 400 colleges and universities in the last decade.
The funding will also support a “Game Change” pilot program that will enable culinary- and hospitality-focused students across New York City to graduate with an associate’s degree from the City University of New York debt-free while gaining industry experience. “As Schools Chancellor, ensuring that our students graduate high school with practical skills and resources needed to achieve success in a field they are passionate about is one of our top priorities,” said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. “I am grateful to David Solomon and Goldman Sachs Gives for their generous donation to our students. The culinary arts is a part of the fabric of New York City and I am excited to see all the amazing things our students create and accomplish.” This grant from Goldman Sachs Gives will support the pilot and initial phases of the program, which will launch in the fall of 2022 and 2023, respectively. Goldman Sachs Gives is the foundational partner of this program, led by FEF with the support of the Mayor’s Office and Department of Education.
The announcement was made at Food and Finance High School in Manhattan on May 11. Following the announcement, David Solomon, Chancellor David C. Banks, and NBA star and philanthropist Kevin Love participated in an Iron-Chef-style cooking competition with students featuring fresh ingredients grown at the school. Chancellor Banks’ team was ultimately crowned the winning team and received the Golden Spatula award by judges Chef Missy Robbins, Dana Cowin, former editor in chief of Food & Wine Magazine, and Nic Jammet, co-founder and chief concept officer of Sweetgreen for their exceptional preparation of broccoli rabe pesto pasta. After the judging competition, Dana Cowin noted the importance of public-private partnerships, saying “Thank you for all you do in the world of philanthropy, and especially in our world at Food Education Fund. It's transformative.”
The announcement event is the culmination of a 12-week initiative featuring Goldman Sachs Gives, Grovehouse, the New York-based hospitality group, and the Food Education Fund to provide students enrolled at partner public schools – the Food and Finance High School, High School of Hospitality Management and Brooklyn STEAM Center – with weekly groceries containing fresh, high-quality ingredients. Over the course of the campaign, Goldman Sachs volunteers packed groceries at Misi in Brooklyn, and distributed nearly 1,000 bags of healthy produce and meats totaling 48,000 meals to Food Education Fund students and their families, 85 percent of whom live below the poverty line.
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