Blanche Ely High School launches student-run food truck through partnership with Intuit

Pompano Beach, Florida – Students at Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach are getting a new opportunity to take lessons from the classroom into the real world with the launch of a fully equipped food truck donated through Intuit’s Food Truck Program.

The school is preparing to unveil the new truck on Wednesday, September 30, at noon. The event will bring together Broward County School Board members, school district leaders, students, teachers and staff, representatives from Intuit, Career and Technical Education officials and community leaders.

The food truck is valued at more than $200,000 and will give Blanche Ely students a place to practice culinary, business and financial skills in a working environment.

Blanche Ely is the first high school in Florida and the 12th school in the nation to receive a fully equipped food truck through Intuit’s initiative. The program is designed to give Career and Technical Education students practical experience in entrepreneurship while they learn what it takes to operate a business.

Instead of learning only from textbooks or classroom exercises, students will be able to work through many of the responsibilities involved in running a food business. Their tasks can include developing menus, preparing food, creating marketing materials and managing the financial side of the operation.

Read also: Florida officials remind residents how to help sea turtles and hatchlings affected by storms and high waves

That financial work is an important part of the program. Students will learn about bookkeeping, accounting and taxes while also gaining experience with the day-to-day decisions involved in managing a business.

The partnership will provide students with access to Intuit’s financial literacy curriculum, Intuit for Education. The educational resources include tools and products such as QuickBooks, TurboTax, Mailchimp and Credit Karma.

The combination of the food truck and financial education is intended to connect several areas of learning. Students can use culinary skills while also exploring marketing, entrepreneurship and financial management.

Intuit’s Food Truck Program provides commercial-grade food trucks to participating schools at no cost. The trucks are designed to function as hands-on learning environments where students can develop technical skills and gain experience with the different parts of operating a business.

For students interested in careers in food service, business or entrepreneurship, the experience can offer a look at responsibilities they may face after high school.

The program also focuses on financial confidence. Students will have opportunities to work with business technology and learn how financial decisions can affect the operation of a company.

By combining practical experience with financial education, the initiative is intended to help students prepare for several possible paths after graduation, including college, employment and business ownership.

The new food truck also represents an opportunity for teachers to bring different subjects together. Culinary education can connect with accounting, marketing and business planning, allowing students to see how those areas work together outside the classroom.

The September 30 unveiling will mark the beginning of that experience at Blanche Ely High School. Students and school staff will be joined by district officials and community representatives as the school introduces the truck to the public.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to provide students with career-focused experiences before they graduate. Rather than simply discussing how businesses operate, students will have the chance to take part in the process themselves.

Read also: Florida Department of Education launches statewide B.E.S.T. Science Standards listening tour to gather public input

For Blanche Ely, becoming the first high school in Florida to receive one of Intuit’s food trucks also puts the school among a small group of schools nationwide participating in the program.

The truck is expected to serve as both a culinary workspace and a business classroom, giving students the opportunity to test ideas, make decisions and learn from the results.

With equipment valued at more than $200,000, access to financial education and support from Intuit, the new program gives Blanche Ely students a new setting in which to develop skills that can extend well beyond high school.

The unveiling will take place at Blanche Ely High School, 1201 N.W. Sixth Ave. in Pompano Beach, at noon on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.