The culinary arts program and the Carol Stream Police Department have partnered to create something awesome at GN! “Chopped” is a program where culinary arts students are partnered with a police officer, participating in a culinary challenge every couple of weeks. After every week, all of the groups’ food is judged and a winner is selected. In the end, the winning team receives a prize from both the Carol Stream Police Department and the Culinary Arts department at GN.
Officer Ariel C. Ibarrientos, one of North’s resource officers, was the one who thought of and helped create this program. Ibarrientos was inspired by his mom who had passed away. The food his mom used to make from his Filipino culture influenced the program that is now at our school. Another reason this program was started was because of the connections food provides.. Ibarrientos said, “The whole idea is to showcase to the students that food brings the world together.” Through this program both Lisa Heim, GN culinary teacher, and Ibarrientos hope that the program teaches teamwork, and that everyone has a purpose.
Some of the great parts of this program are seeing the students shine and do well. Others in the building were impressed with the students’ performance in the kitchen, and it is a way for others to really see that kids can cook well and have fun. Heim said, “They were on time and I loved to see administrators and other people in the building being impressed with the quality of the food . . . being impressed by my students because I think that it’s not seen enough that the kids can really cook and have fun.” Other great pieces of this program include seeing kids work together, the smiling faces, the excitement in the room, and the end results/final products.
Overall, Ibarrientos and Heim hope that students will learn to cook on their feet and be able to improvise. Also, they hope that the students will learn important life skills and lessons such as communication, teamwork, and a good way to make connections. Students will hopefully have a different appreciation for food and a sense of not only taste but a feeling that food can bring to people. Lastly, they want this program to act as a sense of comfort and to show that food can soothe the soul.