| Students learn to cook and cater in Douglass High class
For the past decade or so, a small culinary classroom in Douglass High School served as a storage room - typically dark and filled with excess classroom supplies. "Food is such a beautiful thing to center any curriculum around because it's so expansive," he said, adding that he has talked with other teachers at the school about tying food and food culture in teaching subjects such as geography and history. The catering class also recently began a new partnership with the district's Food Services Department, prepares side dishes to pair with main courses that Columbia Public Schools Chef Brad Faith makes for students. While they can offer a lot on their plates, so to speak, the students say they enjoy the culinary adventures they take on in the kitchen class. In fact, operating a student-run food truck is one of the big goals of the program, Bass said. Rather than "students working for fast-food restaurants, they can begin their own little micro-business in this area," he said. The students made about 70 empanadas last week to cater to a dinner mystery theater that another class organized for the school's staff. Her teacher also is a fan of hands-on learning. I think it's the fact that it is a project-based learning system, which we hope" will be expanded throughout the school. On Wednesday, the kitchen classroom was quiet as all the students were engrossed in their empanada project, stuffing the filling into dough they had prepared earlier. In January, the school started its first catering class - a collaborative effort between Bass, Assistant Principal Kerry Hesse and outreach counselor Kelly Anderson. As part of the class, students write, create advertisements, learn entrepreneurship and marketing skills and, of course, they learn to cook. "I'm still thinking about it and weighing my options," he said. He signed up for the class because he likes to cook and wanted to learn "more about different foods from around the world. "Every week is something new," Bass said. "I'd love to see a wood-fire oven near our schools, where kids can go out and bake their own oven-baked pizzas. Bass and Hesse said they hope to expand the course in coming years into a full culinary program. Christian signed up for the class because she wants to attend culinary school, and she hopes to someday open her own restaurant in Columbia. "I think this area is changing a lot here at Douglass," Bass said. I'd like to see a change in Douglass Park a little bit … maybe an outdoor garden or greenhouse or a place for a food truck to come. That aspect, Bass said, is what makes the class so multidimensional: Students can learn about many subjects, such as geography and history, through their cooking experiences. But her favorite dish so far was chicken wings. Bass and Hesse agreed the class has been a learning experience for both the staff and students - and the teens seem to enjoy the new opportunities. As she prepares to fulfill her dreams, Christian said she has already done a large amount of cooking at home and is particularly fond of making pork chops. |
Wednesday 25 April 2012
Students learn to cook and cater in Douglass High class
