McGavock High School students to operate their own food truck

McGavock student sitting in Raider Bites (Photo by Metro Nashville Public Schools)

McGavock High School students are receiving hands-on experience in business operations through the school’s new student-led food truck.

District leaders unveiled the Raider Bites truck during a ceremony on campus Wednesday, equipped with a commercial-grade kitchen to provide career and technical education (CTE) students with skills in technical, financial, and entrepreneurial fields. The Raider Bites project is a partnership with Intuit, the tech company behind TurboTax, QuickBooks, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp.

“The Intuit food truck program is more than just a vehicle; it’s a mobile classroom that equips students with practical skills that translate directly into future careers and business ownership,” said Dave Zasada, Vice President at Intuit. “By integrating financial literacy and entrepreneurship into hands-on experiences, we’re preparing students for success beyond high school.”

McGavock students touring Raider Bites (Photo by Metro Nashville Public Schools)

McGavock’s culinary students will develop menus and operate the kitchen under the leadership of Chef Jeannine Nava. Culinary arts is one of three pathways school’s Academy of Hospitality and the USCCU Academy of Finance. The school’s business and finance students will handle the financial management of Raider Bites while McGavock’s digital design students work with Intuit designers to create graphics for the truck and promotional materials.

“This is an amazing opportunity for our Culinary Arts students and the entire McGavock community,” said McGavock High School Executive Principal Bruce Jackson. “By combining relevant experiences with real-world application, we’re fostering growth and creating meaningful opportunities for our young people.”

The initiative is part of Intuit’s nationwide effort to support CTE students according to a news release sent to the Tennessee Firefly. The company is providing food trucks, grants, curriculum, and access to financial tools such as QuickBooks Online and the GoPayment Point of Sale app. McGavock High School is the eighth district in the country to launch an Intuit food truck, joining districts in Compton, California; Reno, Nevada; Dallas, Texas; Los Angeles, California; San Diego, California; and Denver, Colorado.

Sky Arnold

Sky serves as the Managing Editor of the Tennessee Fireflly. He’s a veteran television journalist with two decades of experience covering news in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Tennessee where he covered government for Fox 17 News in Nashville and WBBJ in Jackson. He’s a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and a big supporter of the Oklahoma Sooners.

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