Mount Airy organization holds monthly workshops for teen boys to explore trade, entrepreneurial careers

A local program is jump starting the future for a group of young boys and, Saturday, they got to test their culinary skills, which will ignite a passion that could lead them to careers as chefs.

This month, DiscoverYou invited longtime chef Andy Marin, who is also the Director of Culinary Arts for the Community College of Philadelphia, to hold a hands-on informational workshop.

The small group of middle and high school aged boys tried tasting new flavors and learned how to make yogurt parfaits and arepas at the Dorothy Emanuel Recreation Centre.

"It’s just not always about cooking. There are just different facets, different parts that you can get into in the culinary world that’s not always behind the stove," said Chef Marin. "Let’s go out there and help the restaurant world and let everyone else understand what our passion is about so they can feel the same way and spread the word."

DiscoverYou said they’ve previously covered fields such as carpentry, plumbing and real estate investing.

Future workshops will include establishing credit, the barbering business and drone piloting.

Hassan Demarco is a barber educator who said mentoring young men is close to this heart. He’s been an entrepreneur for over 20 years and said barbering has given him opportunities to travel around the world and provide for his family.

"I found passion and a lot of interest in barbering. It’s just been a wonderful career, so I’d love to have the opportunity to talk to young men between the ages of 13 and 19. Helping them to see there is really an opportunity here to grow and do some things that provide a lot of value," said Demarco.

Ashlee Cooper is the CEO and Founder of Droneversity. She hopes her workshop will inspire young men to chase after careers of the future.

"We’re in the age of autonomy, aviation, STEM field, you know, this is where those careers of their future will be, so I think it’s importantly particularly for those who are underrepresented," said Cooper. "There are over 350,000 licensed drone pilots. We are in the age of future."

DiscoverYOU’s next workshop is on March 4 about the barbering business. Click here to register when it becomes available.