The DirectionFive programs are based on what the kids across the country told me they wanted and needed to learn to lead healthier lives, and the pilot program kids told us what they liked and didn’t like about the pilot program. We are now ‘tweaking’ the D5 program to incorporate the kid’s input. Based on this input, all nutrition information received will be interspersed with kitchen time and the program will be five full days and not ten days. Interestingly enough, this is how I taught when I had my cooking school, so why did I think we needed to reinvent the wheel? No idea.
The program can be taken all at once during school breaks, or a bit (or should I say bite?) at a time. We are also willing to customize D5 for your organization. The YMCA will be receiving a program that works for their members, as will the Boy’s and Girl’s Club. We are also incorporating continuing education classes where all the kids who have been through the program can come back and keep the health/culinary information coming! The kids have already told us they want a pie making class (we can talk about locally sourced apples while we use various flours and fats in the crusts) and a canning class-yes, canning. We will put food by, as they say. Isn’t that great? Perfect…
Today the teachers who were there during the pilot program-yours truly, Irema and Mackenzie-and our program director Tanya, are meeting with Susan Backer, our marketing director, to go over all of our notes and do a lot of cutting and pasting! We won’t finish today, but it will be a good start. We are also discussing ways to get the D5 name out there in the world and, of course, fundraising, so we can help many kids to obtain this important information.
The kids have spoken and listening to kids is what we do!
Roger and Chloe torching their creme brule.
Christopher making an omelette Julia Child style.
Great job!
Clare, Taylor and Chloe hand-mixing the veggies for the ratatouille we made in the Vita Clay.
The anatomical model, named Sidney, was used a lot!
Candler mixing the raw kale salad. So good!
Ready to eat
another great meal they prepared…..
O.K., fine…I’ll explain the firefighters….
So…the kids had spent the morning making homemade pizza dough, marinara sauce and chopping this and that for the toppings. They had rolled out their dough, prepared their own personal pizzas and I preheated the ovens to 450 degrees. Fine and dandy.
Well, some dark smoke was coming out of the one oven and I peaked in and it looked like perhaps baked a yam and it dripped. My best guess. The smoke kept coming out; fast forward a few minutes to the smoke alarms going off in the whole building, staff at Chop’s evacuating everyone (in less than a minute!) and the fire department showing up. The kids thought it was very exciting. Next time I will look in someone elses oven before I turn on the heat! Lesson learned.
Last day…..what a wonderful experience. What great kids!
We are all so thankful for the progress we have made thanks to so many of you. I am so proud of these kids as is everyone involved. So now, we set our sites on the group of kids!
We have educated the kids so as to empower them and now they have the skills and knowledge to lead healthier lives! We hope to see all of them again very soon!
With thanks,
Patty, Tanya, Irema and Mackenzie
