ALA Applied Technologies, the first-of-its-kind school in Arizona, hosted a Future Chef event in partnership with Sodexo earlier this month, where students in kindergarten through sixth grades across all local American Leadership Academy (ALA) schools competed to win the title.
Over 20 students competed inside Applied Technologies' state-of-the-art culinary kitchen in Mesa, while having the opportunity to cook with professional-grade kitchen appliances and high-quality ingredients.
Students participating in the competition were judged on their recipe, taste, healthiness, kid-friendliness, originality, ease of preparation and plate presentation. Culinary prizes were awarded to the top three chefs and the first-prize winner competed in Sodexo’s national competition.
Future Chefs participants not only learn how to prepare healthy meals, they also get a healthy serving of confidence in themselves. Combined, those two factors can have a profound effect on their physical and emotional wellbeing throughout their lives.
"According to the American Heart Association, about one in every three American kids and teens is overweight or obese,” said Stephen Dunmore, CEO of North America schools, Sodexo. “This staggering statistic demonstrates why it is more important than ever to engage youth to become advocates for their own health.”
Public School Review states that “the elementary school years play a formative role in shaping a child’s self-esteem and confidence. Children with high self-esteem typically tackle new challenges more effectively, achieve more success in school and generally exhibit fewer personal and behavioral issues.”
All students competing learned basic kitchen skills that will serve them well into their adult lives, including:
- How to use a knife.
- How to wash and cut vegetables and fruit.
- How to make a salad.
- How to cook grains.
- How to roast vegetables.
- How to cook a piece of chicken, fish or meat in a pan.
- How to make one simple pasta.
- How to cook eggs.
- How to bake something sweet.
- How to clean the kitchen.
Although no budding chefs in Arizona won the national competition this year, the three top-placing ALA students in the regional competition are fifth graders:
- Jackson Tiek for Layered Enchiladas w/Fruit and Cinnamon Chip.
- Brisa McIntyre for Carne en su Jugo w/Mango Salsa.
- Jade John for Hot Wings Rolls.
