GRAFTON – Baking is a science. For instance, every cake ingredient has its purpose. 

There needs to be a proper balance between even the basics like flour, eggs, butter, oil, sugar, and baking soda. The flour helps give the cake a foundation; fats, like butter and oil, act as tenderizers to render it less chewy; sugars make the cake sweet and moist; eggs bind the ingredients together; and, finally, baking soda helps the cake rise.

 “I enjoy teaching our students the science of baking and the role each ingredient plays in the process,” Chef Laura Campagna, the Culinary Arts instructor for the Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School. As culinary arts instructor, Campagna is in charge of the school’s baking program.

“When a student can isolate what each ingredient contributes to a recipe and learns how different ingredient combinations trigger varying outcomes,” she said. “They can better understand how to troubleshoot a recipe or work on developing recipes of their own.”

Chef Campagna, following her first year of teaching at the school, was proud to have had a chance to provide her students with an outstanding vocational-technical education with positive energy, creative thinking, and hard work. Her contribution to the learning environment at the school was recognized by the Massachusetts Vocational Association (MVA) who awarded Campagna with their annual New Teacher Award.

“Receiving the MVA New Teacher Award exemplifies the talent and passion that Laura Campagna brings to our culinary arts program,” said School Superintendent and director Dr. Michael F. Fitzpatrick.

Campagna has been instrumental in bringing the school’s bake shop to a new level of quality, while pairing it with an engaging curriculum and challenging projects for the students. She has helped students create custom baked goods, cookies, and pastries. Throughout the school year, these treats can be found at the school’s student-run pastry counter located in front of our Bake Shop.

“We are proud of Chef Campagna and her achievement,” Fitzpatrick said. “We enjoy perusing the pastry counter and sampling her students’ work.”

Campagna said, “in the Bake Shop, students have an opportunity to do ingredient experiments, talk things through, share successes and analyze mistakes. Whether a student becomes a professional baker or not, this process helps with so many life skills.”

The MVA New Teacher Award is given to a new teacher that exemplifies excellence in teaching in the vocational high school setting. The award includes five hundred dollars for the purchase of new supplies for the shop program.

Campagna said she plans to use those funds to enhance her students’ learning experience with a touchscreen or projection unit. This will allow her to easily display notes, recipes, class outlines, and more.

Campagna has appreciated her initial experience as a member of the Blackstone Valley Tech faculty.

“BVT has welcomed me with open arms, allowing me to reimagine what the Bake Shop could be,” she said. “I’ve had access to financial support to purchase equipment, redesign the shop lab, and change the curriculum to create learning progression for the students. I am part of a wonderful department that makes group decisions and is vested in creating a positive experience for all of our students.”