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The art of cooking has garnered greater interest in the last decade—with obscure chefs becoming celebrities and household names, glossy cooking magazines lining newsstands, and the presence of several cable network channels dedicated to the art and science of cooking, 24-hours a day!
Yet, there is an entire generation of youth who do not know where their food comes from, how to cook it, how to eat for health, or the benefits of learning more about the food industry.
In an era of Jamie Oliver’s popular television show, Food Revolution, where famed chef Oliver revamps school lunches and educates communities on healthy food options, afterschool programs have begun to tap into the minds and appetites of their students using food and the art of cooking.
Connecting to our local bounty
With a region rich in agriculture and food industries, afterschool programs in the Central Valley are taking advantage of their local resources to help students connect with food in a new way. After looking for new interactive programs to implement, Le Grand High School in Planada began a culinary arts program afterschool, with support from Central Valley Afterschool Foundation.
“We were looking for something hands-on but didn’t have a room, so I talked to our cafeteria leader. She let us use the cafeteria,” said Andre Griggs, afterschool site coordinator at Le Grand High School.
With more than 130 students participating in the afterschool program, 100 percent of the school’s population receives a free lunch and close to 90 percent of the student body is from migrant farm working families. The culinary arts program at Le Grand in Merced County began offering classes two days a week, but because of its popularity, Griggs said the program is now approved to teach four days a week.
“They are so excited. They have this excitement and joy for food that wasn’t there before,” said Amy Rayford, Le Grand’s afterschool culinary advisor.
Rayfrd said students are often pushed outside of their comfort zone but she can see the difference within their food preferences from the beginning to the end of the program.
“In the beginning we ask what they like and they say McDonalds but by the end of it they say fish and vegetables,” said Rayford proudly.
Most recently, Rayford said the class used ground turkey instead of ground beef to make lasagna. At the beginning of class, the students were skeptical of how the dish would taste.
“I told them to trust me. They ate their dish at home so when they came back the next week, they were surprised at how good it tasted. Students said they couldn’t tell the difference,” said Rayford.
Because Planada is a rural area, rich with agricultural resources, the goal is to get the students to recognize and use the food that is grown locally, which Rayford said will help them eat more fruits and vegetables and less boxed and fried foods. Students focus on meals they can make at home using, for example, whole-wheat flour and fresh ingredients.
According to Griggs, Le Grand receives most of its funding for the culinary arts program through the 21st Century grant, which provides academic enrichment opportunities for afterschool programs. They have also received grant support through the National Gardening Association’s Garden Grant, which has a series of grant programs that give funds to schools nationwide to promote gardening and a greener future. This grant allows students at Le Grand to set up a garden to grow and harvest produce that they sell at the local farmer’s market. Through this process, they create a somewhat self-sustaining environment as the money they make helps to fund class supplies.
“We are getting the community involved and trying to change the culture of obesity,” said Griggs.
Griggs hopes to expand the program to include lessons about restaurant business ownership, hospitality and etiquette
National inspiration
Other afterschool culinary arts programs across the nation are proving to be great examples of how schools can successfully implement healthy eating strategies.
“Everyone has crazy busy schedules. Getting take-out is so easy,” said Holly Utt, instructor and marketing director for Tiny Chefs, Inc.
Utt believes that when families improve their quality of life, they improve their quality of food as well. Tiny Chefs, Inc., an organization that has hosted cooking parties, summer camps and afterschool programs in the Washington DC metro area since 2006 is now located at 21 school sites. They offer two programs and multiple classes for each school semester. Utt said their middle school population is rapidly growing.
“[Cooking] has been in the media, so our gourmet chef program is growing,” said Utt.
With each session guided by a particular theme, Tiny Chefs, Inc. focuses on tailoring its curriculum to the needs of each school site. As long as there is a room available to cook, Tiny Chefs, Inc. brings all the ingredients and equipment, including the oven
“We hope to expand what students consider good food so it’s not all chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese. We want them to be creative and not be afraid to be in the kitchen,” she said
The benefits are reaching farther than the classroom. Parents are involved and are encouraged by what their children are learning. Each student takes home the food he or she prepares during the class.
“It’s the easiest program to sell because parents appreciate someone taking the time to do this with their kids,” said Utt.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity is at an all-time high in the U.S. with more than 12 million children aged two through 19 considered obese. Those who are not interested in sports find the culinary arts programs to be a wonderful alternative for afterschool activities. Through a positive learning environment and the use of science and math concepts, students learn to make healthy choices while creating something that can be enjoyed by the entire family.
Cathy Duchesne, Founder and Executive Director of Kids Culinary Arts, a New Hampshire based non-profit organization that helps kids learn the benefits of healthy eating and cooking said there is a lack of comprehensive curriculum.
“I look at New Hampshire state standards and apply math and science curriculum. I call it ‘culinary’ math but there is a need for more, “she said.
Duchesne, who began offering cooking classes afterschool to elementary and middle school students in the Amherst area in 2009, said she focuses on the whole child and incorporates various teaching modalities. The Kids Culinary Arts program allows Duchesne to employ her three passions: cooking, teaching and children.
With more than 400 students coming through the afterschool classes and summer camps each year, Kids Culinary Arts’ motto is “healthy cooking, for kids, by kids.”
Although, according to Duchesne, some parents have walked into class and it looked like a culinary bomb had exploded, she believes the key to her program’s success is allowing students to be a part of the process.
“It’s such a joyful experience to see the pride on their face,” said Duchesne. “Students come to class thinking one thing. They may say, ‘I don’t like this or that’. I just say okay.”
By the end of the program, Duchesne says parents are often surprised at the type of food their child is eating and the sense of pride and joy they feel in having created something that tastes so good.
Central Valley Afterschool Foundation is in the process of developing comprehensive culinary arts curriculum for high school afterschool students. For more information, contact
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For more information on culinary arts programs, or how to start your own school garden, visit:
http://www.kidsgardening.org/
http://www.kidsculinaryarts.com/
http://www.tinychefs.com/ |
