The Students and the School
RCA is an elective program at Roosevelt High, a public school located in the heart of South Minneapolis. RCA operates in a fertile community for advancing sustainability-minded culinary education in public schools. Along with its culinary arts program, Roosevelt has an impressive urban farming department and is part of the district’s renowned Farm to School program that brings local, sustainable food made from scratch to Minneapolis public schools.
Since its beginning, RCA has been a welcoming learning community for students of a number of different identities. About two-thirds of Roosevelt students are people of color and/or qualify for free or reduced lunch. RCA serves as a pivotal resource for students facing inequities such as food insecurity, diet-related health conditions, and systemic racism.
The Staff
Hello and welcome to Roosevelt Culinary Arts! My name is Ben Rengstorf and I’m the teacher for all of our culinary classes. Here is a little bit about myself.
I received a degree in education from the University of Minnesota (Spanish and ELL) in 2006, and have been a classroom teacher ever since. In 2017, I finished a degree in Culinary Arts from Saint Paul College, at which point I founded the culinary arts program at Roosevelt High School. I’m passionate about education as well as food – it is an honor and joy to bring them together in this program!
When I’m not in the school kitchen, I can often be found in my home kitchen cooking with friends and family. I also love to garden, explore the outdoors, listen to and play music, and generally staying active in the community.