Listen: Marie Osbourne is the Principal of Charter College and Career Prep, chartered under the El Dorado County Office of Education and talks about the teaching kitchencampus where students are learning to use local produce and ingredients to make healthy dishes in CCP’s Foods and Nutrition class.
As summer heat turns into crisp fall mornings, the sounds, smells, and comfort come forth from the school teaching kitchen at El Dorado County Office of Education (EDCOE) Charter College and Career Prep (CCP) campus. Thursday mornings are an exciting buzz with students taking local produce and ingredients to make healthy dishes to nourish the body and mind in CCP’s Foods and Nutrition class. Lisa Boyle, long-time CCP teacher, shares her perspective of bringing together hands-on cooking lessons connected to El Dorado County Farm-to-Fork. “Students participating in the Foods and Nutrition class at Charter College and Career Prep learn diverse ways to use farm fresh foods in their daily cooking. They become aware of the accessibility of foods grown locally by farmers, community farms, and Farmer’s Markets. With a variety of nutritious food choices, students develop skills and knowledge to promote life-long health.” El Dorado County is an ever-evolving place with the opportunities to welcome the new but continue to stabilize through traditions. A staple that continues within El Dorado County is the vibrant Farm-to-Fork and Agriculture movements. Strong education systems and health start within individual students, and CCP is excited to have the ability to teach the next generation of students about nutrition, food preparation, and local food systems.