Experience: Katie Bash (she/her/hers) served on the YouthBuild team as the Culinary & Hospitality Teacher from 2021-23. She brings to LearningWorks a background in Social Work, and years of experience working in commercial kitchens, and food and customer service. Katie grew up in the Philadelphia area, where she returned to complete her Master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania. Katie's love for Maine was planted during her time as an undergraduate student at Bates College and continued to grow while living and working in Portland over the past decade. She has worked for several years in a variety of settings including : a partial hospitalization program, school-based counseling, mental health, and more recently as a family-systems therapist. Before this, Katie worked in restaurants in many roles, and as a Chef Apprentice to the owner of a Spanish restaurant in Boston. Katie is excited to bring together years of diverse experience in her role at YouthBuild. Katie is especially interested in empowering and collaborating with young people to develop and pursue their goals. Katie is passionate about social justice, mental health, the outdoors, running, cooking, baking and local food-systems.

Favorite Ice Cream: Raspberry Chocolate Chip

Favorite Song: “Emotions” by Mariah Carey