Dallas ISD unveils innovative student-operated food truck, a Texas First

BY ANASTASIA REED-JONES Dallas ISD, in partnership with Intuit, a financial software company, unveiled a student-designed and operated food truck, a first-of-its-kind program in Texas. “Students in multiple career pathways will gain hands-on learning experience as they develop and apply technical, financial, and entrepreneurship skills,” Oswaldo Alvarenga, deputy chief of Dallas ISD Strategic Initiatives said. This new offering will engage Career and Technical Education (CTE) students by providing practical experience and hands-on learning opportunities. The truck is equipped with a commercial-grade kitchen, which will eventually allow culinary art students to serve their prepared food. When we decided to launch the food truck program, we thought about Dallas ISD because it has such a strong reputation for being an innovative leader in career and technical education,” Dave Zasada, Intuit vice president, said. “Kids today can’t be kept engaged with pencil, paper, and a book. They want to work on real-world projects and activities, and the food truck program is a great way to do that.” Beyond culinary arts instruction, graphic design students will have the opportunity to design a menu, merchandise, and more. The design was created by several students throughout the district in conjunction with Intuit’s graphic design team. Intuit...