Photo: Contributed
Chefs in the Classroom is growing, thanks to a $10,000 donation from Mission Hill Estate Winery.
The non-profit program launched in 2016 by the Okanagan Chefs Association provides edible education to Grade 3 school children in the valley.
The curriculum provides hands-on, Okanagan and Aboriginal inspired practices that show children how to grow, cook and eat local.
The classes consist of six 90-minute lessons that are taught each spring in which Okanagan chefs visit classrooms in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Summerland and Naramata.
“Chefs in the Classroom is entirely volunteer-run and sponsor funded, and that is something that we are tremendously proud of,” spokesperson Debbie MacMillan said.
MacMillan expects 2020 will be its biggest year yet.
The program consists of volunteers ranging from chefs to cooks, farmers, gardeners, nutritionists, and educators visiting classrooms with support from organizations including Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, Kiwanis Club of Kelowna – Summit, Harmony Honda, Start Fresh Kitchen, Bylands Garden Centre, the Okanagan Table Cookbook, Farm Credit Canada and more.
Darryl Brooker, president of Mission Hill, has supported the growth of the program since the launch and provided 50 children with an outdoor lesson in 2016, when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited.
“Mission Hill chefs have actively participated as part of the volunteer teams, teaching children in the classroom,” Brooker said. “We were pleased to host a field trip last year for 75 Grade 3 children.”
The students were provided with a tour of the vineyard and culinary garden, where they learned how grapes are grown.
To volunteer for the 2020 program, find more information, here.
All Get Involved Stories
