HHS Culinary Program

An educational program seeking to train students for careers in the real world needs several assets to be successful: a dynamic instructor; proper facilities and equipment; support from industry professionals; and eager students ready to learn . The Culinary Arts & Restaurant Management Program at Harrisburg High School checks all the boxes.

Harrisburg High School’s Hospitality & Tourism Program is under the direction of Deb Rombough, who developed the program from the ground up in just a few short years . Rombough has secured funding and enrolled in three levels of culinary training provided by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) . The organization’s ProStart Summer Institute offers educators the opportunity to hone their culinary and restaurant management instruction skills with courses taught by nationally recognized faculty . With in-depth demonstration and lecture instruction, educators learn how to apply their course’s takeaways to their own classrooms .

Rombough has worked closely with Dr. Michael Amoliins, curriculum director at Harrisburg High School, to ensure students have access to industry-grade equipment. Last fall, a full industry-grade culinary kitchen and instructional space was opened at HHS . The state-of-the-art facilities allow Rombough

to introduce students to advanced techniques . Rombough is in the early stages of beginning a ProStart team in Harrisburg, including coaching the recent gingerbread house competition state champion .

The HHS Culinary Arts & Restaurant Management program has created unique opportunities for executive chefs and culinary experts from the area to provide expertise on specific menu items, including a multi-year partnership with Chef Nicholas Skajewski, a 2012 graduate of Harrisburg High School who has had positions as the executive chef at Carnival restaurant in Sioux Falls and the leader of the nutrition program at Avera . Skajewski now operates his own catering business . In concert with Rombough, he has donated countless hours to ensure the lessons being offered match experiences found in the industry.

The program also launched a joint venture with HHS’s DECA and FCCLA clubs. The group has offered baked goods and frozen yogurt to the student body through the school store . This opportunity promoted healthy snack choices for our students while also creating a very successful business venture between the career clusters and Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) . The group also offered baked goods to HHS staff through a program known as “Fresh Case.” Each of these experiences has combined interactions with industry professionals and studentled programming to allow students to explore their interests in the field at an extremely high level.

In addition to these joint partnerships, Rombough has been a dedicated member of the Career & Technical Educational (CTE) community in South Dakota and a leader in the HHS Hospitality and Tourism Program . She presents workshops, participates in professional development opportunities, and contributes her expertise and insight into regional projects .

Prior to pandemic restrictions, Rombough arranged a partnership with Plum’s Cooking in downtown Sioux Falls which allowed culinary students to take monthly trips to the store to participate in master classes with chefs from the area . The employees/ managers of Plum’s offered tips and suggestions to the students, as well as allowing them to explore the store and learn more about industrygrade supplies . Students were able to translate their experiences into meaningful projects at school, and Plum’s has become a solid community partner as a result of the experience.

Students participating in the Culinary Arts/Hospitality and Tourism Program at HHS have the opportunity to earn their ServSafe Certification as part of the course sequence. In addition, the reputation of the culinary training they receive from Rombough and the guest industry experts has provided opportunities for employment . Students have participated in field internships and obtained full employment in the field.

In spring 2021, the HHS Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management program was recognized as the Innovative Program of the year by the South Dakota Association for Career and Technical Education .