There was such excitement when the first pan of food was pulled from the oven at the afterschool cooking club. The next day, students came to the library to check out cookbooks. Imagine how they felt when they discovered only a few old cookbooks with faded photos, sticky from use.
My public middle school is Title I funded, meaning that a large number of students are economically disadvantaged.
Many are latch-key children who are first- or second-generation Americans from either a one-parent family or one in which both parents work to earn enough money to cover basic subsistence needs. These are great children, motivated toward academic success, but their family situations sometimes make it a challenge for our students to do their best. Many students have a difficult time coming up with money for pencils and paper, so they cannot afford to purchase cookbooks of their own. The school library is the place they go to learn about people, places, and things, and to read about experiences they have had. The school library currently lacks quality, current cookbooks for those students interested in learning to cook the foods of their native country, be it the United States or another country.
My Project
I have been amazed at the number of requests for cookbooks. This is the second year of the afterschool cooking club; the teacher who leads the club has really gotten the club members interested in cooking and excited about showing off their skills. I hope to have cookbooks to fit every student--soups, dessert, baking, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Northwest cooking, plus several cookbooks which focus on healthy food choices. Getting teens to understand that a balance of healthy foods is essential for good living means that they may help change unhealthy eating habits in their family members. A few of the titles will help our students born in other countries learn to make food of their native land, carrying on family traditions.
The variety of cookbooks selected will help students learn not only the skill of cooking but also will teach them about measurement (the math teachers are thrilled) and about customs and places around the world (a mini geography lesson, in some cases).
Additionally, your thoughtful assistance in this project might help these middle schoolers find a career path for themselves. Thank you for your consideration.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Gleb and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.