Cooking is more than a profession for Christa Bruno — it’s a lifestyle. After spending decades cooking in restaurant kitchens, she now teaches young adults — many of whom are experiencing reentry from the criminal justice system — how to cook and operate in a professional kitchen.

Bruno is a culinary arts instructor at the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA) in Baltimore, Maryland. NCIA is one of 11 organizations supported through the Compass Rose Collaborative, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and implemented by FHI 360’s National Institute for Work and Learning. It aims to improve education and employment outcomes for young adults (ages 18 through 24) who are returning to their communities after incarceration or other involvement with the justice system.

Learn more about Bruno’s approach to teaching and mentorship in this photo story: