518-377-9430
info@downtownschenectady.org
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram
http://downtownschenectady.org
  • Home
  • Visit
    • Downtown Schenectady Attractions
    • Schenectady Parking
    • Transportation
    • Directions
    • Discover Schenectady
    • Downtown Schenectady This Week
  • Explore
    • Dining + Nightlife
    • Arts + Entertainment
    • Education + Museums
    • Health + Fitness
    • Shop Schenectady
    • Services
    • Schenectady Transportation
    • Lodging
    • Houses of Worship
  • News
  • About
    • What We Do
    • Our Staff
    • Our Board of Directors
    • Job Opportunities
    • Publications
    • Stakeholders
  • Support DSIC
  • Contact DSIC

New SUNY Schenectady Craft Chocolate Classes Will Be Sweet Addition to Mill Artisan District in Downtown Schenectady

February 12, 2020Amy Sonder2

SCHENECTADY – Just in time for Valentine’s Day, officials from SUNY Schenectady and Schenectady County today celebrated a new collaboration between the College and the Mill Artisan District.

Starting with the Fall 2020 semester, students in SUNY Schenectady’s celebrated Culinary Arts program will be able to take classes in all things chocolate at the Mill Artisan District. Students will take courses and participate in labs in the “bean to bar” craft chocolate movement. College and County officials celebrated the new course offerings with food prepared and served by faculty and students in the School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism, through the College’s Food Truck.

The College recently signed a lease to occupy almost 3,000 square feet of space at the Mill Artisan District, a block away from the main campus. The College has engaged a consultant to help design architectural plans to create a culinary classroom and lab space for chocolate, pastry, and baking instruction. Construction is scheduled to take place this spring and summer, with the goal of offering classes for the Fall 2020 semester.

“This is going to be a special space for us as we become part of the Mill Artisan District,” said Dr. Steady Moono, College President. “Not only will we be offering students the opportunity to discover the art of making high-quality chocolate, a new avenue for our Culinary Arts program; we will also be contributing further to the spirit of downtown Schenectady’s renaissance as students and faculty work and learn inside the new space at this exciting downtown development.”

Chef Vanessa Traver, who has a passion for the art of craft chocolate and recently studied the growing movement at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, is looking forward to teaching chocolate and confection courses in the new space. “What makes this so special is that students will learn the process from bean to bar because they will be making the chocolate from scratch,” she explained. “SUNY Schenectady is going to be a real part of the craft chocolate movement starting with the cocoa bean.”

Students will develop their skills at flavoring chocolate through various flavor profiles incorporating sea salt and nuts in dark, white, and milk chocolate. They will utilize equipment including a roaster, a refiner to break down cocoa beans, and a winnower that separates the cocoa nib from the shell.

Ann Fleming Brown, Chair of the Board of Trustees, noted that the College’s expansion at the Mill Artisan District is another example of how the institution engages the community and continues to offer a diverse array of new courses and programs for students. “We are pleased to further link the College to downtown Schenectady and offer students a new and exciting choice in the Culinary Arts field at the same time,” she said. “We serve our community in a myriad of ways and offering craft chocolate courses further showcases the excellent work of our faculty and staff.”

“SUNY Schenectady’s new craft chocolate classes pair perfectly with the Mill Artisan District,” said Anthony Jasenski, Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature. “This exciting partnership will help keep the College at the forefront of New York’s culinary arts programs while expanding its downtown footprint and attracting even more students and visitors to the County.”

The Mill Artisan District is a $35 million mixed-use development located on lower State Street in downtown Schenectady. The Mill project features the Frog Alley Brewery, a taproom, apartments, multiple retail stores including Bountiful Bread, the new chocolate program, and the Jahnel Group, a fast growing software company. Future plans include SUNY Schenectady’s Craft Brewing program and a distillery.

“Hosting SUNY Schenectady’s new chocolate program is an honor for our team,” said JT Pollard, developer and owner of the project said. “It is a great fit with the goal of showcasing food and beverage artisans at work making and selling their freshly made products in a fun community gathering space.”

 

##############

About SUNY Schenectady

Founded in 1969, SUNY Schenectady County Community College (SUNY Schenectady) is one of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, the largest comprehensive university system in the United States. SUNY Schenectady is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Through transferable degree and certificate programs, affordable tuition, strong student support services and a personalized approach to learning, SUNY Schenectady provides students with a regionally-acclaimed education that empowers them to take the next step in their lives. SUNY Schenectady offers degree and certificate programs through the:

  • School of Hotel, Culinary Arts, and Tourism
    •           School of Music
    •           Division of Business, Criminal Justice, and Law
    •           Division of Liberal Arts
    •           Division of Math, Science, Technology, and Health

SUNY Schenectady also offers an array of Workforce Development and Community Education services and non-credit courses.  Learn more by visiting: www.sunysccc.edu.

Archives

  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015

Recent News

  • New Beginning for Former St. Clare’s Hospital Campus in Schenectady Ellis Medicine Board Approves Sale to Development Team August 14, 2024
  • Electric City Community Grocery Signs Letter of Intent at 251-267 State Street August 7, 2024
  • Spectacular Autumn Glow Lantern Festival Coming to Historic Mabee Farm in Rotterdam Junction in the Fall August 5, 2024
  • New Immersive Show Coming to miSci Planetarium July 31, 2024
  • Capital Region Land Bank Schedules 27 Demolitions for Schenectady July 24, 2024
© 2015 Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corporation Site Design by D2 Media Consultants, Inc.