BOSTON – Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) President Mary K. Grant recently announced that Toni Elka (BFA Painting ’86), founder of Future Chefs, will be among six recipients of the 2024 MassArt Common Good Award. Elka, a resident of Waltham, will receive the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award for her transformative work empowering Boston-area youth through culinary arts, providing life skills, professional development, and mentoring to ensure successful transitions from adolescence to adulthood.

“Toni has changed hundreds of lives over her tenure, and we are so proud to call her one of our alumni,” said President Grant. “Her work exemplifies the deep impact of art and creativity in shaping stronger communities and building brighter futures for young people.”

Elka founded Future Chefs in 2008, driven by a belief in the collective responsibility to prepare young people for productive, fulfilling lives. Over the past 17 years, Future Chefs has become a cornerstone in youth development, combining practical culinary training with mentorship and personal growth opportunities to equip teens with the skills and confidence to navigate their futures. The program reflects Elka’s passion for creating sustainable, community-centered models for local impact, rooted in her background as the granddaughter of a union organizer and farmer, and her own experience as a cook and caterer.In addition to leading Future Chefs, Elka founded the Circle of Girls program, a pioneering arts-based prevention strategy for middle school girls, and served as the program director for the Boston chapter of Careers through Culinary Arts Program (CCAP). Her innovative leadership earned her recognition as a Social Innovator by Root Cause in 2011, and in 2013, she became the first executive director to earn a Boston Neighborhood Fellowship from the Philanthropic Institute. Elka also served on Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s Economic Development Transition Team in 2014, holds a certificate in Non-Profit Management and Leadership from Boston University, and has completed graduate-level coursework at Harvard’s School of Education and Radcliffe Seminars.

This fall, after 17 years of extraordinary leadership, Elka retired from Future Chefs, leaving behind a legacy of transformation and empowerment for hundreds of Boston-area youth. Her leadership inspired countless students to build confidence and find direction, with one student summing up the program’s impact in a CBS News article as a place that teaches “knife skills and life skills.”

Elka will be celebrated alongside five other distinguished honorees, including May Chau (BFA Arts Education ’07), Visual Arts Supervisor for Somerville Public Schools; Shirley Ann Session Edgerton, community activist, educator, and founder of Rites of Passage and Empowerment Program (R.O.P.E.); Yinette Guzman (BFA Architecture ’08), Senior Project Manager of Design and Placemaking at the North Shore Community Development Coalition; photographer Thaddeus Miles, Senior Director of Diversity Initiatives at MassHousing and founder of the Black Joy Initiative; and acclaimed documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman. Each honoree will receive a custom-made, inscribed artwork by Sam Kim, a Lowell-based ceramics artist and MassArt graduate (BFA Industrial Design and Ceramics ’18).

“This year’s Common Good Award recipients reflect the many ways artists can drive societal change, change perspectives, and honor the diversity that helps communities thrive,” said President Grant. “Each of these recipients have demonstrated innovative work in education, community building, and advocacy and stand as a testament to the essential role that creativity plays in shaping our collective future. We are honored to recognize their contributions to the common good.”

The MassArt Common Good Awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at noon at MassArt’s Design and Media Center (621 Huntington Avenue, Boston). The event is free and open to the public, though tickets are required.

For more information on attending the event or learning about the MassArt Common Good Awards, visit www.massart.edu/massart-common-good-awards.

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About Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt)
Founded in 1873, Massachusetts College of Art and Design is the nation’s first public, independent college of art and design. The College is dedicated to fostering the creativity of artists, designers, and educators who will shape communities and culture for the common good.

About MassArt Common Good Awards
The MassArt Common Good Awards celebrate individuals and organizations who use art and design to make a positive impact on society. Honorees demonstrate the essential role of the arts in advocacy, education, and community development, contributing to the quality of life and problem-solving efforts in today’s world.