Thursday, October 1, 2026
Woodward Children’s Center invited the Freeport Chamber of Commerce to the school’s first-ever community luncheon last Tuesday, giving local business leaders a close-up look at a culinary program that has grown into one of its most successful vocational offerings.
The luncheon was the brainchild of Greg Ingeno, Woodward’s executive director, who also serves as the chamber’s vice president.
He said the goal was simple — bring the community in, and let the students shine.
“It’s community relationships,” Ingeno said, “and Woodward has a very extensive culinary program.”
The program has been in operation for about 25 years, but in the past two years, Woodward – located at 201 W Merrick Road – has expanded it significantly by bringing in outside chefs to work directly with students.
Chef Richie Venticinque — who has more than 35 years of industry experience and has owned several restaurants, including Rachel’s on the Nautical Mile — spends two to three days a week giving Woodward students professional instruction in the kitchen, which they wouldn’t ordinarily receive in a traditional classroom.
Twice a week, students in the program prepare full lunches for staff and eligible students. The meals often sell out, with 35 to 40 orders on a typical day.
Woodward students have prepared a range of dishes — from chicken pot pie and curry chicken with rice, to dumplings, chopped chicken parm heros and Cobb salad.
The high school aged students have learned everything from knife skills to plating, and they’re graded on both technique and presentation.
Ingeno said the hands-on nature of the curriculum is what makes it so successful.
Students learn a recipe in the classroom, practice prep techniques, and then cook and serve the dish in the school’s café, with many bringing those skills home.
“A lot of the times the kids will prepare the lunches at their home, so they’re bringing that culinary skill back home with them,” Ingeno said.
Melissa Rosenholtz, Woodward’s vocational coordinator, oversees much of the day-to-day training.
She said the program is structured in three tiers: an introductory class, a second-year class and a café team made up of eight students who have progressed far enough to handle full meal service.
Students start with basic safety and knife skills before moving into cooking, service and customer interaction. Those who excel often become candidates for job placements at local businesses like Tropical Smoothie or Montana’s.
“A lot of them come into the classes — they’ve never even held a knife,” Rosenholtz said. “And now they’re frying chicken.”
Some graduates move into culinary jobs after leaving Woodward — and one former student now manages a Smashburger, Rosenholtz said.
During the inaugural chamber luncheon, students spent the morning preparing the meals and organizing service for roughly 15 to 20 attendees.
Ingeno said the idea fit into Woodward’s growing emphasis on community engagement and allowed the chamber to see the program in action.
“I just thought about it — be a great way for the culinary students to give something back to the community,” he said. “It’s nice for the chamber to come by, and they can actually see the program.”
The luncheon also featured a guest speaker, Amy Fleischer of Harmony Healthcare, who spoke about clinic services available to Freeport residents.
The chamber’s president, Ken Dookram, said the event was a smashing success.
“Lunch went great,” Dookram said. “The food was excellent. The kids who were working as servers, they did a great job.”
