TAY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The mission of Shared Table ATX is to harness the power of food and creativity to arm young people with the tools to break the cycle of generational poverty.
A PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR YOUTH
The question of how to build an equitable society is a big topic of conversation today. Shared Table ATX's TAY (Transition Age Youth) Fellowship program aims to support those young people with big dreams living in a world that affords them little privilege to accomplish those dreams, or those that haven't felt like a dream could be part of their reality. The Program creates a space and opportunity for those dreams to be dreamt and the needed supports to be provided to make those dreams a reality.
​
Shared Table ATX is a nonprofit organization with an integrated "for-profit" business model, which is designed to be run, with the support of volunteer mentors, by the youth fellows in the program. Through the organization of Pop-Up Dinners, Pop-Overs, and creative culinary events, fellows will not only gain experience in culinary arts, but will also learn the entire culinary hospitality industry: marketing, graphic design, social media, strategy, business finance, sales, customer service, business development and more. These concrete skills will be complemented by a trauma-informed, professional development curriculum, which will include communication, time management, creative problem solving, conflict resolution, working on a team, managing up and managing down, etc. The material will include a social justice component, weaved throughout, bringing context to some of the challenges the youth have been forced to face and developing coping skills and tools to promote their professional growth.
​
The program is not designed to assign any young person to a specific field, but to create a space for the young person to realize their own strengths and explore their personal interests–leading them to determine their own path. We provide the tools to help them realize and accomplish all they want to be.
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
PROGRAM LAUNCH
RECRUITMENT
DISCOVERY & DEVELOPMENT
EVALUATION
DISCOVERY & DEVELOPMENT
Host fundraising
Pop-Up Dinners
Hire Youth Program Associate for program development
Gather community input
Program development
RECRUITMENT
​
Recruit first fellowship cohort
Recruit and train volunteers & mentors
Secure guest chefs for Pop-Up Dinners
LAUNCH
​
Program begins with first cohort!
EVALUATION
​
Evaluate and assess first round of programming
Make needed adjustments and modifications
Ready for round 2!
PHASE 1: Discovery & Development
PROGRAM LAUNCH
RECRUITMENT
DISCOVERY & DEVELOPMENT
EVALUATION
DISCOVERY & DEVELOPMENT
Host fundraising
Pop-Up Dinners
Hire Youth Program Associate for program development
Gather community input
Program development
RECRUITMENT
​
Recruit first fellowship cohort
Recruit and train volunteers & mentors
Secure guest chefs for Pop-Up Dinners
LAUNCH
​
Program begins with first cohort!
EVALUATION
​
Evaluate and assess first round of programming
Make needed adjustments and modifications
Ready for round 2!
PHASE 1: Discovery & Development
HELP US GET TO PHASE 2!
WHY WAS SHARED TABLE ATX CREATED?
AUSTIN IS A CULINARY DESTINATION
Shared Table ATX was created with the same degree of strategy a for-profit company is started–identifying a need and a customer. Austin is gaining traction as a culinary destination. Austinites and out-of-towners alike are seeking out the next hot chef or, in the spirit of Austin, the next funky spot.
While money pours into the city, many of the young people that have been in Austin for generations are getting priced out of their homes. Shared Table ATX aims to support those that may be pushed out of their neighborhood through gentrification gain what is needed to stay and benefit from it.
YOUTH PROGRAMS DROP OFF AFTER HIGH SCHOOL
Shared Table ATX is designed specifically for TAY (transition age youth aged 18-26), to meet them where they are at in their development.
The K-12 education system is designed to prepare students for college. Many students do not plan to go to college or may not know what they want to do yet. For these students, their school days may feel like running on a treadmill as their classmates run past them. For many, if college is not their next step, they may view their educational career as over and their professional opportunities as limited.
Additionally, for those young people that may have been swept into the foster care system or the criminal justice system, a supportive, trauma-informed place to learn and develop may be needed to get to that next step.
EDUCATION OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM
Higher education does not need to take place in a classroom and college is not the only path to success.
Many young people may not be interested in going to college or aren't sure if they'd like to go. With that, many hault their professional development and limit their professional aspirations, feeling that success is only obtained through a college education.
Shared Table ATX removes the classroom, and shines a light on the many forms of higher education, both at college and not. All options are on the table and the many paths to success are explored.
AN EXPRESSION OF SELF
​
Food is a connection to oneself–one's family, culture, heritage, community. Living in a melting pot, where people simultaneously clinge to their individuality and strive for assimilation, food has historically been a space where people can proudly celebrate and elevate their roots regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socioeconomic class.
​
​
A THERAPEUTIC MECHANISM​
​
Food is often used as a coping mechanism––we all have our comfort food. With the easy access to unhealthy food items and the consistent need for comfort food to soothe the innate stress that comes with living in poverty, people in low-income communities are disproportionately struggling with obesity and nutrition-related health conditions.
​
While not everyone has felt the joy of success of bringing home a paper with an A+ stamped at the top or getting picked for first string on the varsity team, almost anybody can relate to the joy of taking a bite of something delicious, whether it be decadent chocolate soufflé with handmade vanilla ice cream and gold leaf or a cool 99¢ cone of soft serve. Food provides an opportunity to experience success––spending the day crafting the perfect meal, taking a bite yourself and tasting that joy, and then watching others taste it and experience the same from YOUR creation. The therapeutic power of tasting success can have a huge impact on someone's self-confidence, self-esteem, and motivation.
​
Food may not be the final career destination, but it has the power to help someone realize they can choose where their journey takes them.
​
​
A LIFE SKILL
​
Cooking and nutrition are often life skills that are not given the time to fully develop. Whether it's due to a shortage of time, knowledge, or access, parents or caregivers in low-income communities often don't have the capacity to teach these skills and we are seeing continued increase in obesity and nutrition-related illness among these communities.
​
The TAY Fellowship Program will not only tap into the professional development opportunities that a culinary business provides, but will provide countless teaching opportunities to build each individual's knowledge of nutrition, cooking, and personal health.
​
A PROFESSIONAL PLATFORM
​
The food hospitality industry is multi-faceted and spans across a wide range of careers. By using food hospitality as a platform for youth to learn, they are able to develop a diverse set of both soft and hard skills. The work in the kitchen alone provides experience working in a fast-paced environment, as a member of a team, and in a space where time management and efficiency are keys to success.
​
While revenue is generated through the culinary experiences, the business as a whole provides opportunity to explore a number of career paths beyond culinary arts–marketing, business development, sales, finance, design, social media, web development, and more.
As the youth will be running the business, their creative ideas and personal interests will drive innovation and further develop both the business and create new opportunities for themselves and future participants.
WHY FOOD?
THE PROGRAM
PROFESSIONAL & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
SOCIAL JUSTICE
HANDS-ON VOCATIONAL TRAINING
CURRICULUM CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT. MORE COMING SOON...