School the Chefs - A Culinary Competition

From SPS:

WHY:  To imagine the future of school lunches, encourage kids to eat right at school and home, try new foods and flavors and be involved in menu planning. 
WHAT:  The afternoon event will showcase results of a two-year federal grant funded program to rethink the school lunch program in Seattle Public Schools (SPS) with a focus on South Seattle. Part of The Next Fifty Sustainable Futures month food and waste education program.
 
HOW:  Local celebrity chefs invited by Tom Douglas, Inc. will coach teams of kids from participating schools to cook a school lunch for a fixed cost ($1.25 per plate) with both nutrition and taste in mind. 
There will be two rounds of cooking and judging. Participating chefs confirmed-to-date include:  Lisa Dupar, Leslie Mackie, Eric Tanaka, Josh Henderson, Karen Jurgensen, Jerry Traunfield, Jonathan Zimmer, Katherine Kehrli, and Rebecca Early.
 
WHEN:  Saturday, May 12, 2012, 12 noon – 4pm
 
WHERE:  Next Fifty Activity Tent, Seattle Center (between Seattle Center Armory and EMP Museum)
 
WHO:  Seattle Public School students and families and the general public.  Samples of a new lunch menu item will be available to the public free-of-charge. MC for the event is Rachel Belle with KIRO 97.3 FM.
 
PARTNERS: Tom Douglas Inc., King County Public Health and Seattle Public Schools Nutrition Services.
 
COOKS:  Celebrity Chefs – one per team; Chefs Assistants – students recruited from local culinary schools – one per team; Seattle Schools Students –– three to four per team. Four teams total, 2 rounds.
 
JUDGES:  Younger palates will adjudicate for taste, and the SPS Nutrition Services Director and faculty from Seattle Culinary Academy and Bastyr University for nutrition.
 
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  PCC Natural Markets, Bargreen Ellingson and Gateway

I am a bit confused why this event is so late in being announced but Mr. Douglas is fresh off his crowning James Beard award for Outstanding Restaurateur so it's a bit of a coup to get him.

Comments

NESeattleMom said…
This is a step in the right direction to begin speaking about the unspeakable, or what to me seems to be less than the most health-oriented food. I think the school board and top staff should each go to a school for breakfast and lunch for one week and eat what is served to our students.
5/10/12, 12:53 PM
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