STEM to Fork Competition Gets Kids Cooking

Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds and the Green Teacher Network are working to bring the garden into the classroom. As part of this education initiative, the inaugural STEM to Fork Culinary Competition, sponsored by Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds initiative, is hosting four Charlotte Mecklenburg Middle Schools in a head-to-head Kids Cooking Competition that explores the Science of Soup and the Math of Pizza this Friday, March 27 from 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. inside the 7th Street Public Market. The event is free and open to the public.

Participating Schools include: Berryhill K-8, Mountain Island Lake Academy K-8, Whitewater Middle 6-8, and Mint Hill Middle 6-8. Each school has assembled a team of four students and a lead teacher who will prepare two items for judging each in 45-minute increments. The goal is to give students a hands-on way to bring the school garden into the curriculum. Schools are encouraged to incorporate items that have grown in their school garden or obtained from a local farmer.

The panel of judges includes some heavy hitters in the Charlotte culinary world, including Tim Groody from Fork Restaurant, Luca Annunziata from Passion 8, Amber Harris Lewis from Mod Paleo Food, Catherine Carter from Edible Charlotte Magazine, and Clark Barlowe of Heirloom Restaurant and a Green Teacher Network member.

“Connect a Million Minds is all about inspiring students to be involved in science and math and the STEM TO FORK event will definitely do that in a unique and engaging atmosphere,” says Mike Smith, area vice president of operations, Time Warner Cable. “This culinary competition is yet another way in which Connect a Million Minds is showing kids that science, technology, engineering and math can be fun by introducing them to exciting, informal learning opportunities outside the classroom.”

I love that children are getting more involved in learning how to grow food and then how to take garden-fresh vegetables and make delicious, healthy dishes. Our April issue is making it’s way to stands this week, and is all about food! Be sure and pick up a copy and read our story about the making of new generation of foodies.