PS 302: The Emerson School of Hospitality

Located in Buffalo, NY, PS 302: the Emerson School of Hospitality is a unique public high school learning environment that blends academics, culinary arts and food industry career training. In existence for over 50 years, it began as the brainchild of the late Peter Gust Economou, a world renowned hotelier and former President of the Board of Education. The first graduating class consisted of six students. Today, there are more than 400 students enrolled in the program!

The Emerson Commons is a cafeteria-style restaurant operated by school staff and students that features creative and delicious food at reasonable prices. The school also participates in the Wegmans Youth Program, an innovative and challenging 3 year work-study program that offers 1500+ hours of paid, school-supervised work experience, supported by related instruction at school. Students may receive high school credits for this experience.

The program is succeeding in its goals to:

• Provide Emerson students with a program emphasizing academic achievement in conjunction with career preparation
• Update training and technology to meet workplace needs and expectations
• Facilitate increased student knowledge and understanding of career availability and employment opportunities in the hospitality industry
• Improve instruction through an integrated, interdisciplinary curriculum design.
• Provide a more advanced, ethnically diverse and contemporary quality education – while reducing the cost of the project to the school district.
• Increase hospitality progam enrollment

For more information about the school and to check out sample Emerson Commons and banquet and catering menus, visit the Emerson School of Hospitality website.