Building Futures at Youth Guidance Mentoring Academy

The minute you step inside the newly renovated and repurposed Youth Guidance Mentoring Academy building in downtown Vero Beach, you sense an air of anticipation as students enrolled in after-school programs arrive.

While some head down the hall to the Teen Culinary Academy, others may continue on to the Construction Lab next door, or turn in to one of the classrooms to learn about audio and video engineering, drone technology, OSHA rules and regulations, effective résumé writing, and much more. There is a look of excitement on their faces as they prepare to learn skills and life lessons that lead to academic success as well as a fulfilling future.

With executive director Phil Barnes as your guide, you are sure to be impressed with how far the nonprofit, founded in 1973 to provide one-on-one and group mentoring programs for children from low-income families in Indian River County, has come.

“We took a hard look at what was being offered in the community and identified several gaps, which we’ve been filling,” says Barnes as he opens the door to the Culinary Lab, where mouth-watering aromas announce that mealtime preparations are well underway. “With the $2.3 million renovation, we’ve been able to double capacity and expand after-school and summer program offerings.”

Thanks to a $100,000 grant from Impact 100, this room is where teens and young adults participate in the culinary arts pre-apprenticeship program, a workforce development initiative that teaches advanced cooking techniques and real-world kitchen experiences that lead to earning industry credentials. And it is all under the direction of Chef Brannon Soileau, who, during his 38-year professional career, has owned five successful restaurants and taught classes at the Culinary Institute of America.

How Soileau became involved with Youth Guidance and the pre-apprenticeship program was, as Barnes says, “serendipitous.”

“We had been invited to speak at Grand Harbor, and some of the students from our culinary arts program were in the kitchen observing meal preparation,” Barnes explains.

“During dinner I happened to say to the woman sitting next to me that we were looking for someone to teach our pre-apprentice culinary track, and she said she might know someone. It was Chef Soileau. She called him, told him about our conversation, he said he was interested, we talked, and here we are. The stars were definitely aligned,” he grins.

“When he started, he took one look at our plan for the commercial kitchen and said, ‘This doesn’t cut it.’ Drawing from his professional experience, he completely turned things around, maximizing every square foot and transforming the kitchen into a state-of-the-art training facility that mirrors industry standards. He also traveled around Florida and got things that were needed at very little to no cost. He’s been absolutely amazing.”

Soileau’s curriculum is focused on classical French cooking fundamentals such as making pasta and bread from scratch, grilling, roasting, pan frying, and submerged poaching, with an emphasis on technical skills that help students earn a ServSafe Food Manager Certification. Students also learn banquet and catering techniques as well as procedures for serving various styles of buffets.

It didn’t take long before Soileau saw an opportunity to expand the program by preparing and serving tasty, nutritious meals to the children, teenagers, young adults, and others involved with the after-school programs. Within days, a professional-looking serving station was set up in the Youth Guidance lobby.

“Chef’s pork tenderloin, turkey burgers, and breaded catfish fingers with dipping sauce are incredible,” says Barnes. “Some of the kids had never had anything like them before, and they can’t get enough.”

“One kid had never tasted cauliflower,” he continues. “While he didn’t particularly like it, he now knows what it tastes like. A couple of kids in the program had been eating nothing but processed food, so it’s been really neat to see them taste ‘real food.’ It’s like opening up a whole new world.”

That world includes Tuscan grape focaccia, a sweet and savory Italian flatbread that is on tonight’s menu. With a knowing grin, Soileau is in his element as he sprinkles a handful of pine nuts over a large sheet of bread dough, then drizzles raw honey on top of the now-ready-for-the-oven focaccia, which, when baked and ready to eat, melts in your mouth and has you begging for more.

When asked why he devotes so much time and energy to Youth Guidance and the Culinary Academy, Soileau says it’s his way of giving back. Then, with a smile, he adds, “I’m just trying to work my way to heaven.”

Next door in the Construction Lab, pre-apprenticeship students aged 17 to 24 have been busy learning basic carpentry, plumbing, electrical, welding, and heating and air-conditioning skills in order to earn certification in the construction trades industry.

James Buttonow, who is also in the business of giving back, is the one in charge. As the program’s director for the past five years, he oversees hands-on projects that have a purpose. He says, “Students made everything you see here: all of the work tables, shelving, and the planters culinary students use to grow tomatoes and other vegetables for their farm-to-table menus.

“Also, students learn how to build a house from the ground up, but on a much smaller scale, starting with drawing the blueprints and creating a materials list, just like a construction professional would do. The miniature framed house on my desk is an example,” says Buttonow, who had his own company and taught carpentry at a technical training school in Manhattan. After 40 years on the job site and in the classroom, he decided it was time to hang up his hammer, head south to sunnier shores, and take life easy. Before long, he became bored.

“I found retirement didn’t suit me, and I heard Phil was looking for someone who could take over the pre-apprenticeship program, so here I am,” he says. “I’m just so proud of what our students have accomplished.”

So are Barnes and every staff member, supporter, and financial contributor who has helped make Youth Guidance Mentoring Academy what it is today: a place where future hopes and dreams are made possible.