Tools of the trade
Knife rolls, chef coats, cutting boards, sheet pans. Every student needs their own set, and every set wears out.
Robinson High School, Tampa, Florida
Knights
Boosters
Robinson's culinary students cook for paying guests, compete against the best programs in Florida, and leave here ready to work. We make sure they have what they need to do it.
A working kitchen inside a public high school
Culinary students at Robinson learn on real equipment, on a real service schedule, under real deadlines. Knights Boosters is the parent and community group that funds the part a school budget does not cover.
Certifications
Industry credentials students can carry straight into a first kitchen job or a hospitality degree.
Competition
Entry fees, travel and practice ingredients for students representing Robinson at state and regional events.
The Knights Tavern
The Tavern is the program's student-run dining room. Students write the menu, order the product, run the line and work the floor, then serve guests who paid for a seat. It is the closest thing to a first shift in a professional kitchen that a high school can offer.
Every gift to Knights Boosters keeps the Tavern stocked and the doors open for the next service.
Join the Knights Tavern
Supporters who give become part of the room the students built. Gifts are processed securely through Zeffy, which passes the full amount to the program.
Where your gift goes
Give any amount. These are the things that amount typically buys in this program.
- $25A chef's knife for a first-year student
- $45Chef coat and apron for one student
- $60Competition entry for one student
- $120Produce and protein for one Tavern service
- $250Food safety certification for one senior
- $500Replacement small equipment for the kitchen
- $1,000Travel for a student competition team
Prefer to give monthly, or to direct a gift to a specific need? Choose a recurring amount on the donation form or reach out to the board.
Business sponsorship
Tampa restaurants, suppliers and local businesses can sponsor the program for a school year. Levels borrow their names from the kitchen brigade the students work in.
- Commis $250 Your name on the Tavern menu card for the year.
- Chef de Partie $500 Menu card listing plus your logo on program signage and the Boosters site.
- Sous Chef $1,000 All of the above plus a table for four at a Knights Tavern service.
- Chef de Cuisine $2,500 Named sponsor of a full service night, with recognition at the event and an invitation to speak with students.
Other ways to help
Money is not the only thing the kitchen runs short on. Parents, alumni and neighbors are welcome at any of these.
- Host the dining room on a Tavern service night
- Help with prep, plating and dish during service
- Come in as a guest chef for a demo or a Q and A
- Drive or chaperone a competition team
- Donate pantry staples, produce or usable equipment
- Offer a student an externship or a first job
Pull up a seat at the Knights Tavern
Your gift goes straight to the students working the line. It takes about a minute.
Donate to Knights Boosters