KAMLOOPS — Sa-Hali Secondary students are taking their culinary skills to the next level.
The school secured a collaborative grant with Thompson Rivers University in order to connect through cooking.
“We’ve melded to share skills, mainly skills they’re showing our students, which we’re so lucky to have,” said foods teacher Holly Adkins.
The students have been focusing on Mexican flavours and dishes, researching and creating presentations on authentic Mexican cuisine.
“It was a project that Holly was doing with her students that revolved around ethnic cuisine,” said Adam Florence, a Culinary Arts instructor at TRU, “and we tried to impart ourselves as much as we could, and try to get them engaged and interested in cooking.”
Florence says the university is trying to create more opportunities for partnerships with schools in the city.
“I think this is kind of a stepping stone that we’re going to use to try and be more engaged with the high schools,” he said. “I’m trying to be engaged with the elementary schools as well. I’ve been working with Arthur Hatton and their microgreens just to try and show the high school students and elementary school students the program that we have at TRU and next steps for them to further their education in cooking.”
At the very least, students gain an appreciation for the culinary arts and cooking techniques from around the world.
“I’ve learned a lot about the different types of herbs and spices they use down in Mexico and the different foods that they use and the different meals that they have and how they incorporate their fresh produce that they grow down there into their food,” said Grade 12 student Abby Krushel.
“I learned a lot about how to make the food and a lot of the customs, as well I learned more about how if I want to go into cooking when I’m older into the course at TRU,” said Grade 11 student Nicholas Etienne.
At the end of every lesson students are rewarded with a delicious meal they can be proud of.
