As we get ready to say goodbye to 2022 we are taking the time to look back on our latest season of Chefs in the Classroom. Covid restrictions left our volunteers out of the classroom for the second year but our hard-working board members once again provided the participating eight schools, 12 classrooms with our customized virtual lessons supported by planting boxes, recipes and food deliveries.
Our virtual lessons were a big hit with the students and well received by the teachers with the hardworking team of Chef Willi, Chef Betty, and Rob preparing the food deliveries supporting each lesson plan.
Our new board member dietitian, cookbook author and @fraichetable creator Tori Wesszer provided more focus on the nutritional elements of our recipes. Tori also donated her home/garden for the annual Flower Power Garden Tour which raises funds for Chefs in the Classroom and donated a percentage of sales from her KALE t-shirts. The Flower Power Garden Tour is a MacMillan Event organized by Chefs in the Classroom President Debbie Macmillan donating $2500 in 2022.
With the addition of a Board Director Kelly Hale, focused on Social Media we were able to create regular content reinforcing our mission to educate children in our community to grow, cook and eat healthy local foods. Each month we selected a locally grown fruit or vegetable to spotlight with quick bites of nutritional information, fun facts and recipes to inspire use of our celebrated produce. These social media posts were further supported by a monthly wrap up of the spotlighted fruit or vegetable which is both added to our website blog and to our Instagram linktree for quick and easy access.
Chefs in the Classroom – edible education is grateful for the support of the Kiwanis Club of Kelowna, Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, Kelsey Fairbank & Associates, Farm Credit Canada, Harmony Honda, Les Dames d’Escoffier- BC Chapter, The Okanagan Table, Capri CMW, Fraiche Living, Central Okanagan Foundation, Central Okanagan Public Schools and the Flower Power Garden Tour ensuring the program can continue year after year. We are also excited to introduce Lomis (countertop composters) to the classrooms in 2023 which were generously donated by its inventors, Pela, an Okanagan based company. These Lomis will add a new technology approach to our composting lesson.
We are currently planning for 2023 and actively recruiting volunteers to support a hybrid version of Chefs in the Classroom mixing our virtual lesson plans with in-person guest appearances of our chefs, cooks, gardeners and nutritionists.
After a 7 year term as President, Debbie MacMillan has passed the torch to Chef Betty Cherkaoui to lead and inspire our board members in creating our future food champions.