Grandma might be hard-pressed to recognize high school home ec classes in Sioux City, Iowa. A far cry from collar-starching and sock-darning, these days the curriculum includes everything from human development and exploring parenting, to personal finance and interior design.

And what of pie-baking? Of course there’s pie-baking! From scratch, and with a slice of job training on the side. Says culinary ed teacher Jill Pearson, “I think the kids are more enthusiastic because it’s kind of a lost art in their own homes,” Pearson told John Quinlan of the Sioux City Journal. “They’re so enthusiastic when they get to make something and their parents love it.”

Nancy Fregosa, 17, left, and Teresa Hernandez, 14, take pride in their fruit tarts at North High School in Sioux City, Iowa. (Photo by JIM LEE, Sioux City Journal)