EGUSD elementary school students to learn hands-on cooking skillsFebruary 10, 2009 Turkey & chicken pita wrap. Fresh corn & black bean pitas. Fresh lemon hummus with spring vegetables. These are just a few of the delicious dishes that fourth through sixth-grade students at 12 Elk Grove Unified elementary schools will be preparing over the next few months through Jr. Chef Central Cooking Assemblies – sponsored by EGUSD’s Food and Nutrition Services with funding through the Network for a Healthy California. These hands-on cooking experiences are designed to provide students with culinary knowledge, cooking skills and confidence. Each of the 12 elementary schools will receive a total of four cooking assemblies. These 45-minute assemblies are set up to allow students to rotate through multiple recipe stations learning every cooking step the recipe addresses. Each session will focus on increasing consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, recipe preparation, proper use of kitchen tools and equipment and food safety. This is an opportunity for students to learn about food, nutrition and kitchen rules in a safe, monitored environment. Creativity and education in the kitchen play an important role in a child’s development and help build self confidence and independence. Jr. Chef Central, the company providing these assemblies, has trained nearly 1,000 young people over the past four years through their Jr. Chef Cooking Camp, community outreach programs, and Kids Culinary Convention. “We are very happy to be working with Jr. Chef Central to offer these exciting cooking assemblies to our fourth, fifth and sixth grade students,” said Lisa Vorce, nutrition specialist for Elk Grove Unified. “Jr. Chef Central provides the expertise, equipment and compassion required to make our cooking assemblies successful. The best part is that students will walk away from each assembly with the skills to prepare the recipe at home.” Family newsletters will be sent home with each student with the recipe, cooking tips and other nutrition information. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend the assemblies – not only to serve as an extra set of hands but to find out what their students are learning in order to continue to help their child practice their new skills at home. Assembly Schedule
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