Baking and Pastry Arts Blog
Sweet Success: Enrollment Numbers on the Rise
Fall 2024
This fall, the Baking and Pastry Arts Program at Edmonds College isn’t just getting a rise out of its dough. Enrollment of new students is higher than it has been in years.
The shutdown of 2020 jeopardized many businesses in the hospitality industry, and consequently, enrollment in professional technical programs like Edmonds’ Baking and Pastry Arts Program declined.
Over the past several years, pivots have occurred, systems have changed, and curriculum has been updated, all while waiting to see which direction enrollment will take.
Recovery is on the horizon because this fall quarter is seeing pre-COVID enrollment numbers that are hopefully here to stay. In fact, we saw a 116% increase in enrollment compared to fall of 2023.
What does this mean?
A busy baking lab energizes students and promotes an environment that buzzes with creativity. Energized students are highly motivated to learn the techniques necessary to embark on a career in the baking and pastry industry. Higher enrollment has also prompted us to keep Pastry Corner open an hour longer each operational day and also means lots of baked goods for the loyal customers who continue to support our students. Check our webpage for new hours and a current menu that is updated daily, or for folks who are interested, sign up to be on the Pastry Corner Menu email list.
Collin trimming tartlet shells, Edmonds College Baking & Pastry Arts
Olivia and Faith with chocolate espresso tarts, Edmonds College Baking & Pastry Arts
Edmonds College prides itself on offering a high level of services to bolster student success. Our students are immersed in a vibrant learning environment that is encouraging and supportive. If you are considering elevating your baking skills, we encourage you to launch your career today with us. Thank you and stay tuned!
It’s Pie Season
Fall 2023
Pies are a big deal for students in the Baking and Pastry Arts program at Edmonds College. Every year during fall quarter, students produce around 200 pies that are sold to members of the Edmonds College community just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.
These types of projects expose students to critical lessons, including the soft skills of production planning, time management, and storage, as well as the hard skills of pie making, including the creation of perfect pie dough, rolling out, lining and crimping a perfect pie crust, and, of course, baking the perfect pie.
This year, we are changing things up a bit by swapping out our Dutch apple pie with
an apple almond galette, a delightful free-form tart made with our “perfect” pie dough,
rich almond cream, and super flavorful organic apples from the Edmonds College Campus Community Farm! This change provides students with the opportunity to practice additional skills,
and we are confident that our customers will be excited to try something new.
Thank you for supporting our Baking and Pastry Arts students!