Agenda Item
iv. Donation Acceptance: Donation of $250,000 from Intuit, Inc. Food Truck Program to Career Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE)
Summary: Presented by: Mrs. Jennifer Caracciolo, Interim Chief of Community Engagement and Innovative Partnership
Request: It is requested that the Board of Education accept the $250,000 donation from Intuit, Inc. for their national Food Truck Program in support of the DeKalb County School District culinary programs at Arabia Mountain High School, Columbia High School, Cross Keys High School, Clarkston High School, Lakeside High School, McNair High School, Miller Grove High School, Redan High School, Southwest DeKalb High School, Stephenson High School, Tucker High School, and Warren Technical High School.
The Intuit Food Truck Program immerses students in the management and operation of a fully functioning food truck business, allowing them to build culinary, technical, entrepreneurial, and durable skills-as well as financial literacy-in a real-world environment.
By providing students with hands-on learning experiences and authentic industry exposure, the Intuit Food Truck Program supports the development of the next generation of business owners, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
Why: The Intuit Food Truck Program aligns with the DeKalb County School District’s Portrait of a Graduate by providing students with an innovative, real-world learning experience that strengthens creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Through the design, branding, management, and daily operation of a fully functional food truck, students are encouraged to demonstrate curiosity and originality while developing innovative solutions to authentic business challenges. The program requires students to examine issues from multiple perspectives-culinary, financial, entrepreneurial, and operational-as they create new processes, troubleshoot problems, and refine ideas. This hands-on experience fosters inquiry by prompting students to ask questions, explore possibilities, and generate new solutions that reflect real industry expectations.
In alignment with the district’s Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) mission and goals, the Intuit Food Truck Program prepares DeKalb County students to compete in a global, technologically advanced society. By engaging in a high-demand, high-skill career pathway, students gain industry-relevant competencies that strengthen workforce readiness. The program also supports teachers in delivering high-quality instruction, activities, and events aligned to CTAE standards. Additionally, the Intuit Food Truck Program enhances postsecondary preparation by immersing students in career-based learning while cultivating the habits of self-directed, lifelong learners. Students deepen their understanding of entrepreneurship, financial literacy, customer service, teamwork, and community responsibility-key attributes that shape socially conscious graduates.
Furthermore, the program supports early career awareness by exposing middle and high school students to a wide range of culinary, business, and technical opportunities. Through this partnership, Intuit provides an exceptional hands-on learning environment that bridges classroom instruction with real-world application. This experience reinforces the district’s commitment to ensuring every CTAE student is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to succeed beyond graduation.
The Intuit Food Truck Program not only enriches instructional practice but also strengthens the district’s ability to prepare the next generation of leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
Details: The Intuit Food Truck Program provides significant budget relief by supporting a major infrastructure investment for the district and its students. The fully equipped mobile kitchen included in the donation strengthens instructional capacity across participating schools. The program also offers meaningful and relevant work-based learning experiences for students across multiple Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) pathways, including Culinary Arts, Agriculture, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Audio/Video, Graphic Design, and Business.
Through this donation, the district will receive a fully equipped, industry-standard mobile kitchen that allows students and teachers to develop and implement a complete food truck concept-from initial idea to full launch. The Intuit team will collaborate closely with DeKalb CTAE to plan, build, and activate the program, guiding students and teachers through the process of operating a functional food truck business within the school community.
DeKalb County School District CTAE will benefit from increased community visibility and engagement as students participate in local events with a student-led food truck. This initiative not only showcases students’ culinary and entrepreneurial talents but also strengthens meaningful connections between students and district stakeholders, including families, community partners, and local businesses, reinforcing a strong sense of community involvement.
The following schools will participate in the Intuit Food Truck Program:
Arabia Mountain High School, Columbia High School, Cross Keys High School, Clarkston High School, Lakeside High School, McNair High School, Miller Grove High School, Redan High School, Southwest DeKalb High School, Stephenson High School, Tucker High School, and Warren Technical High School.
Financial impact: None
Contact: Dr. Penny Mosley, Interim Chief Academic Officer, Division of Curriculum & Instruction, 678-676-0731
Dr. Rose Prejean-Harris, 6-12 Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, 678-676-0137
Mrs. Doryiane Gunter, Career Technical and Agricultural Education Director, 678-676-0451
Effective: January 13, 2026 - ongoing
Status: Pending Approval by the Office of Legal Affairs
DEKALB CTAE
INTUIT FOOD TRUCK PROGRAM
The Intuit Food Truck Program expands instructional capacity across
DCSD CTAE by providing a fully equipped, industry-standard mobile
kitchen and hands-on workforce development experiences across
multiple pathways.
Participating Schools: Arabia Mountain HS, Columbia HS, Cross Keys HS,
Clarkston HS, Lakeside HS, McNair HS, Miller Grove HS, Redan HS,
Southwest DeKalb HS, Stephenson HS, Tucker HS, Warren Technical School
STUDENT LEARNING
Culinary Arts
Agriculture
Marketing & Entrepreneurship
Graphic Design
AV Technology
Business
Financial Literacy
PROGRAM FEATURES
Fully equipped mobile kitchen
Concept-to-launch food truck design
Industry-standard operational training
Ongoing Intuit partnership + support
COMMUNITY IMPACT "Education is not the filling of a pail,
but the lighting of a fire."
Student-led service at local events
— William Butler Yeats
Stakeholder + business
engagement
Showcases CTAE excellence
Strengthens school-community
ties