Top Chef's Stephanie Izard with ICE student volunteers

Volunteering & Networking

Discover Myriad Ways to Get Involved

Los Angeles is one of the brightest culinary scenes in the country — and ICE is your connection.

For our students, that means ongoing opportunities to work alongside the biggest names in food and hospitality. ICE itself is a hub of culinary networking opportunities, whether hosting a high-profile cookbook launch, a well-respected charity event or inviting an acclaimed entrepreneur to share his or her secrets of success.

Connected Staff

To maintain this network, our faculty and staff actively participate in a wide range of professional groups and non-profit associations related to the food and hospitality industry, including the LA Times, C-CAP, Slow Food, Pasadena Playhouse, Taste of Israel, Chef Bruce Kalman, Brad Metzger Restaurant Solutions, James Beard Foundation, IACP, Les Dames d’Escoffier, AIWF, Culintro, City Harvest, Action Against Hunger, National Restaurant Association and more. Our connections are your connections, forming a framework that will support you throughout your culinary career.

The Brightest Names. The Biggest Nights.

Over the years, ICE students have regularly taken part in the following high profile events:

ICE students volunteer with top culinary talent

Citymeals on Wheels' Chef's Tribute

At this star-studded philanthropic gala, students volunteer alongside celebrity chefs to raise money to provide food for thousands of elderly New Yorkers.

Food & Wine Best New Chefs

Over the past 24 years, Food & Wine magazine has recognized up-and-coming chefs ranging from David Chang to Thomas Keller to Nancy Silverton. Students assist Best New Chef winners participating in the annual awards ceremony.

ICE student Calvin Luk assists pastry chefs at the Dessert Professional Top Ten Pastry Chefs Awards

Dessert Professional Top 10 Pastry Chefs

This annual celebration of America's best pastry chefs has been held at ICE for more than ten years, with students helping chefs with set up, food preparation, plating and service.

James Beard Foundation Awards

The James Beard Awards are the highest honor for food and beverage professionals working in North America. Each year that the event was held in New York, ICE students assisted with food preparation for the gala reception and dinner, as well as the Book, Broadcast & Journalism awards dinner. Now that the awards ceremony is held in Chicago, ICE hosts the annual Chefs' Night Out, a celebration of each year's nominees.

StarChefs.com Annual International Chefs Congress

This three-day culinary symposium brings together more than 140 of the world's leading chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists and sommeliers each year. ICE students regularly assist these culinary innovators with their presentations on the latest techniques and concepts in the field.

City Harvest's "Bid Against Hunger"

At City Harvest's annual walk-around tasting, student volunteers assist more than seventy chefs from New York City's best restaurants. The event has raised millions of dollars to assist hungry New Yorkers across the five boroughs.