In the first week of May, more than 200 St. HOPE students and staff took a break from the classroom and participated in Chartwell’s Mobile Teaching Kitchen program. Chartwell’s has been contracted to serve school meals at St. HOPE for the last several years. The Mobile Teaching Classroom was very impressive and is a custom-designed shipping container modified into an 80-square-foot, fully functioning kitchen complete with three-sided belly height kitchen countertop and five individual induction plates.

Lead Regional Chef Michael, his assistant Joyce and St. HOPE’s in house food services director Nick Dramis, served up Peruvian style white beans and chicken with an avocado, radish and citrus salsa. Students also made their own tortillas.

The culinary lesson was timed perfectly for 10^th grade Honors English teacher, Kyle Novak. All four of his classes were in the middle of their food justice unit, so each class participated, meaning Mr. Novak ate a lot of tacos!

“The Chartwell’s Mobile Teaching Kitchen was a highlight of our year. Chef Michael and Joyce were very professional and eager to help students learn the history of their food as they prepared some delicious tacos from scratch. It was the perfect way to bring hands-on learning to our English unit covering food in the U.S. while empowering students with the experience of cooking their own food. We are grateful for this experience.”

Edible Sac High cooking club students stepped up as junior chefs and assisted classes in assembling their tacos. Director of Edible Sac High, Karen Henderson, supports students learning where their food comes from and teaches preparation skills to create fresh healthy recipes with fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in our school garden or by our local farmers. “Vote with your dollar. Support your local farmer. This is a seed I plant in their minds, daily. My hope is by just exposing students to a healthy meal prepared in our program, students will begin to connect and at least think about their food choices. I want to cultivate appetites that crave food that nourishes their bodies and their minds.”

Edible Sac High cooking club students stepped up as junior chefs and assisted classes in assembling their tacos. Director of Edible Sac High, Karen Henderson, supports students learning where their food comes from and teaches preparation skills to create fresh healthy recipes with fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in our school garden or by our local farmers. “Vote with your dollar. Support your local farmer. This is a seed I plant in their minds, daily. My hope is by just exposing students to a healthy meal prepared in our program, students will begin to connect and at least think about their food choices. I want to cultivate appetites that crave food that nourishes their bodies and their minds.”