Innovation Award
Chef Tracy Carter honored again with national award
For the second year in a row, Chef Tracy Carter was recognized with a national award for her work as chair of the culinary arts department at Holyoke Community College.
In July, Carter received the 2026 Innovation Award from Real Milk California and the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ) for expanding educational access, strengthening community partnerships, and reimagining how culinary education is delivered.
In 2025, Carter was recipient of the Community Outreach Award from CAFÉ and the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.
“Chef Carter’s work reflects her belief that innovation in culinary education is about creating systems that better support students, strengthen programs, and are responsive to the evolving needs of the industry and community,” said Lisa M. Parrish, editor of CAFÉ’s Gold Medal Classroom magazine.
Specifically, Carter was recognized for implementing an educational program called the Culinary Learning Hub, a centralized, digital platform designed to reinforce in-person instruction and provide students with widely accessible learning materials.
“By combining hands-on instruction with structured digital reinforcement, this approach represents a new delivery model in the college’s program,” Parrish said.
Beginning in Fall 2026, English 101 (Composition) will be embedded within the culinary arts education, allowing students to complete foundational coursework within their learning environment. The course will be taught through a culinary lens, aligning writing instruction with students’ academic and professional interests.
Another innovation example comes from the HCC culinary arts program’s partnership with the United Way of Pioneer Valley, where Carter’s students serve up to 200 free meals during a monthly community dinner. Carter also partnered with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, producing monthly curated platters for musical events.
The Innovation Award was presented at CAFÉ’s July 2026 Leadership Conference in Chicago. The award included a $1,000 prize from Real California Milk and a commemorative plaque.
Carter is a graduate of the International Culinary Schools at the Art Institute in Los Angeles. She grew up in Springfield and joined the HCC teaching staff in 2018 after living for several years in New York City, where she worked as a freelance food stylist and culinary producer at the Food Network on shows such as "Chopped," preparing the baskets of ingredients for the cooks involved in the on-air competitions, and working alongside famous chefs like Bobby Flay.
PHOTO: Chef Tracy Carter, with HCC culinary arts student Tiffany Mackey, during an open house at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute.
