The next Ani Phyo or Richard Landau could be walking the halls of Wareham High School.

The school is offering a new culinary course for its students, taught by Joseph Breda, a seasoned chef who hails from Cape Cod. The course will teach students everything from how to safely prepare and serve food to catering for a large crowd, such as a wedding.

“It seemed like a great opportunity to be in at the ground floor,” Breda said. “It’s a great experience for the kids to build from the ground up.”

High School Principal Scott Palladino said he is excited about the program but that the school currently lacks all the necessary infrastructure to carry it off. The school’s money for the program is going towards a grease ventilation system, so the school is relying on donations of appliances and other items from local restaurants to pull it off.

“We are looking for everything,” Palladino said. “It could be as small as mixing bowls, as large as a steamer, or anything in between.”

Palladino said in a later email the program is looking for a convection oven with six to eight burners and an oven underneath, a flat-top grill, a broiler, a two-bay fryer and any bowls, pans and utensils local restaurants want to donate.

Breda is currently certifying the students in ServSafe before they start making food at the end of September. ServSafe is a National Restaurants Association food and drink training and certification program. Certification is almost always required for an individual to work in the food service industry, but training takes time and money. Palladino said this course will get the students certified while still in school, so any future employers will not have to spend the time and money training them, which will make them more desirable employees.

“If they want to go into the industry, they will have that piece of paper that will elevate them in the eyes of the management,” Palladino said. “These are important skills to learn at an early age.”

Breda said he plans to teach the students cooking in a logical progression, starting with sanitation and knife skills, and then moving on to creating things like breakfast, sauces, quick breads and desserts. But Breda said there are many more career paths open to students than just food creation.

“It’s the second-largest industry in the country,” Breda said. “There is opportunity for sales, photography, food TV It doesn’t just have to be someone in the kitchen cooking. There is something for everyone in this business.”

Breda said he has high hopes for the program, which he and Palladino expect to continue into more advanced culinary courses over the years.

“We would love to make a little full-service restaurant, or perhaps work at the school store,” Breda said.

Palladino and Breda both hope to have cross-curriculum and interaction with the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) program.

“The culinary piece ties in with DECA because they have the hospitality and the restaurant management,” Palladino said. “Maybe down the road we can do more with it, as well.”

To donate supplies to the program, call Scott Palladino at 508-291-3510 ext. 718, or email him at spalladino@wareham.k12.ma.us.