The Springfield Middle School Reach Program celebrated the culmination of its year-long service-learning project this Tuesday evening. Students felt that learning about different cultures would be a good way to promote understanding and peace in their community. Food was their vehicle of choice and a tasting of recipes from around the world made their evening a hit.
A ton of effort went into this project. Students researched their own cultures and heritage before expanding their search to a specific country. They gathered information about their location and created colorful placemats that highlighted important cultural elements. They researched traditional food, gathered recipes (that became a class cookbook), and compiled a list of ingredients (herbs & vegetables) to grow in their own classroom. In addition to harvesting some of their own ingredients, students wrote letters to local businesses asking for donations. Many thanks to Gordon Food Service for their generous support!
Students then created a flyer to advertise the Culture Kitchen Night event. With the help of the awesome Springfield Middle School kitchen staff, led by Ms. Barb, students made selected recipes that were then shared at Tuesday’s event. In addition to enjoying great food and company, remaining plants were given to attendees to take home and start (or add to) their own gardens.
Thank you to Ms. Marszalek, Ms. Pike, and the Reach Team for all their hard work. It was a great event and provided opportunities for future fun from garden to table.
