Media Spotlights Student Chefs of Cooking up Change Chicago

Just last month, the school lunch created by the winning Cooking up Change Chicago team from Chicago Vocational Career Academy -- a tasty, healthy meal of oven-fried chicken, leafy greens and cabbage, and sweet potato salad -- was served to more than 20,000 Chicago Public high school students across the city. We'd like to thank national publication N'Digo and local newspapers including Chicago Defender, Southeast Chicago Observer, and Chicago Citizen for spotlighting the CVCA team. We'd also like to shout out NBC 5 and Power 92's "Sam Sylk Show" for coming out to share highlights from the school.

Winning Cooking up Change Chicago meal

Last fall, the CVCA crew competed against eleven teams of students chefs challenged to create a healthy school meal on a tight budget at Cooking up Change. More than 700 supporters came to taste these delicious student-created meals. School lunch blogger Mrs. Q was among the many supporters who spoke with students about changing the future of school food. National honorary co-chair Christie Vilsack attended the event to commend students’ efforts to rewrite the recipe for school food.

CVCA accepts Cooking up Change award!

Student chef Shaenice Dishmon is interviewed by NBC news at CVCA.

The students proudly shared their stories! Check out some of the media highlights below.

• Chicago Citizen - "CVCA student chefs serve winning dish, headed to nationals"
• Chicago Defender - "Students prepare healthy lunch"
• Medill - "CPS student 'chefs' serve award-winning lunch"
• WLS-TV (ABC 7) - "Vocational students to feed 20,000 CPS students"
• True Star Magazine - "Cooking up Change"
• Fed Up With Lunch – “Cooking up Change (Parts 1, 2 and 3)”
• Our Urban Times – “Roberto Clemente placed second Cooking Up Change contest”
• WLS-TV (ABC 7) – “Chef Matt Eversman of OON Chicago” 
• Vocalo – "Are You Fed Up With Lunch?"
• Now You Know – “Cooking Up Change: Students Transforming the Future of School Food” 
• WGN-AM 720 "Extension 720" – "Fed Up with Lunch"
• Reclama – “Campana para almuerzo saludables” 
• U.S. News & World Report - Students Compete to Design Better Lunches 

 

Sam Sylk interviews David Blackmon at CVCA

Congratulations to the talented student chefs who participated in Cooking up Change!