Healthy Schools Campaign

Student-Designed School Lunch Served throughout Chicago Public High Schools

by Jean Saunders, HSC School Wellness Director

For culinary students at Chicago Vocational Career Academy (CVCA), the long-awaited day has finally arrived!

Today, the students’ menu of red beans and rice with smothered cabbage and candied carrots will be served at all high schools in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system. High school students around the city will enjoy a healthy meal that CVCA students created to meet high standards for nutrition, taste and presentation.

The CVCA students won this honor by winning first place in the Cooking up Change Healthy Cooking Contest at HSC’s annual benefit in October. We couldn’t be more proud of the students, and are delighted to share the thoughts of three members of the winning team:

My experience in the Healthy Schools Campaign competition was a very great learning experience. I was able to obtain more confidence in myself as well as in my future. This campaign put me in a “quick thinking on my feet” situation; when I look back on it, I can applaud myself and my teammates who all played a major role in our success as a group. I really can say that throughout the whole competition I felt an exciting feeling as if I knew the outcome would be worth it.  ~ Ariel Griffin

Being a part of the winning team, which is Chicago Vocational, of the Healthy Schools Campaign is one of the greatest feelings a person in the food industry could gain. The day of the competition was nerve-wracking because of the way it started and the challenges along the way: at first our bus was an hour late which made us late for the competition, and when we were on our way to the competition, our food was spilling. But when they announced our school as the winners my teacher Mr. Fuller jumped into my arms because he knew how hard we worked to get those trophies. But to know that our food is going to be in every CPS school is one of the greatest accomplishments that our school could ever gain.  ~ Kevin Williams

I am really appreciative of the opportunity to compete in the healthy cooking competition. I’m elated that we won first place, for the appetizer and entrée portion of the contest. The whole competition was a great experience, including the work that was done prior to the competition. This is definitely an experience that I will never forget. I hope that the entrée is a great success on the Chartwells menu. Thanks to the judges for making the right decision, we (Chicago Vocational Career Academy – Culinary department) will make sure you are happy you chose us as the winners.  ~ Alexia R. McLaurin

Many congratulations to the culinary students at CVCA! 

Cooking up Change in the News!

We had a fabulous time last week at Cooking up Change, a benefit to support the Healthy Schools Campaign, and are thrilled to see media attention helping spread the word about this fantastic event and the message it embodies.

The focus of Cooking up Change 2007 was a healthy cooking contest for Chicago Public Schools culinary arts students. The students and their delicious creations were truly impressive.

You can read more about the students and their remarkable efforts in the Chicago Sun-Times and in The Stew, the Chicago Tribune food, wine and dining blog, or view video footage of the students preparing for the contest at NBC-5 Chicago.

Congratulations to the contest winners and to all the amazing student teams, and special thanks to our generous sponsors, contest judges and everyone who attended Cooking up Change. Stay tuned for more updates and photos from the event! 

New Sponsors and Celebrity Judges for Cooking up Change!

Our team of sponsors and celebrity judges for Cooking up Change is growing to include an even more prestigious group of leaders dedicated to making a difference for children’s health –- and hosting a fabulous party!

Be sure to check out our new Cooking up Change website for a profile of this week’s featured celebrity judge, Chef Clifford Rome of the Parkway Ballroom, or our featured prize, a guest appearance on Spatulatta!

Celebrity judges for Cooking up Change include: 

Carol Moseley-Braun, former Democratic Senator from Illinois and the first African-American woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate

Louise Esaian, Food Service Director, Chicago Public Schools

Chef Lisa Gershenson, manager of Chicago's Community Kitchens, a program operated by the Greater Chicago Food Depository to teach underemployed adults food preparation skills

Carol Haddix, Food Guide Editor for the Chicago Tribune and editor of three recent Chicago Tribune cookbooks

Chef Monique Hooker, a chef, teacher and author with a lifelong enthusiasm for food and travel

Chef Mary McMahon, a Jean Banchet winner for best Pastry Chef, creator of inventive desserts for restaurant throughout Chicago, and instructor at the Illinois Institute of Art

Gwen Macsai, award-winning writer and radio producer for National Public Radio

Chef Clifford Rome, President of Parkway Ballroom and Rome’s Joy, the exclusive caterer of the Ballroom

New sponsors include For Her Information Media; Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality; Holland & Knight LLP; Illinois Federation of Teachers; Juicing for Jocks, LLC; Primera Engineers, Ltd.; SEIU Illinois Council; University Professionals of Illinois, Local 4100 IFT/AFT/AFL-CIO; and Midwest Academy.

Interested in getting tickets, becoming a sponsor, or learning more? Check out the Cooking up Change site!

Celebrity Judges and Sponsors Sign on to Cooking up Change

by Tara Kennon, HSC Writer & Publications Coordinator

Let’s be honest: We’ve been excited about Cooking up Change, HSC’s annual benefit, for quite awhile now.

And how could we not be?

It’s always a fabulous party with truly great food and even better people. We’ve secured an amazing and incredibly unique architectural space – Salvage One – for this year’s event on Oct. 18. And we know the live and silent auction prizes are going to be out of this world.

As if that’s not enough, this year we’ve added a new twist to our annual celebration: a healthy cooking contest for high school students enrolled in the Chicago Public Schools Culinary Arts Program.

Guests at Cooking up Change will have the opportunity to taste the students’ award-winning creations as they mingle with friends, colleagues and celebrity judges, and cast a ballot for a special healthy cooking contest audience award.

Now, Cooking up Change is shaping up to include an exciting team of sponsors and celebrity judges for the contest!

Sponsors include Applegate Farms, School Health Corporation, American Institute of Architects, Canon Distributing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Organic Valley, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and United Supply; celebrity judges include Gwen Macsai, Carol Moseley Braun, and chefs Monique Hooker, Clifford Rome, Lisa Gershenson, and Mary McMahon.

We're thrilled about this extraordinary team and will be introducing you to our judges and sponsors as the celebration draws closer!

If you’re even a little bit as excited as we are about this event, be sure to visit our Cooking up Change website to learn more. You can also check out photos from Cooking up Change 2006 and Cooking up Change 2005.

To learn more about joining the host committee, becoming a sponsor, or donating auction items, please contact Claire Marcy at (312) 419-1810 or claire@healthyschoolscampaign.org.