Schools

Pizza, Preschoolers a Perfect Mix in New Culinary Lab

High school students teach preschoolers to make pizzas at GBN's new, state-of-the-art facility.

The following story was submitted by Glenbrook High School District 225.

Instead of the normal sounds of electric mixers, oven timers and bowls being whisked, it was the sweet harmony of children laughing that filled the air in the culinary lab at Glenbrook North on a recent Wednesday afternoon. 

It was pizza-making day with students from the preschool program, and although educational, it was also a lesson in fun for both age groups in the room.

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“It was good for the preschoolers to make and develop something from scratch as well as for the high school students to reverse roles and be the teacher,” said Foods teacher Craig Loch.

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The pizza making day is just one of many new experiences available to students at GBN who now have access to a state-of-the-art culinary lab that would make even the most seasoned of chefs green with envy. 

With the look of a commercial grade kitchen, the new space is equipped with four different ovens, stainless steel worktables as well as a commercial range and exhaust hood. The room also has a camera and projector so teachers can demo different items with the class and provide a bird’s eye view.  

The lab first opened at the start of this school year following a more than two-year planning process. All of the culinary teachers were involved in developing a vision for the space, with a key component being that students would experience what it is like to work in a commercial kitchen rather than just a high school lab, said Career & Life Skills Instructional Supervisor Mary Kosirog. 

“We talked with the administration early on about the need for the space. We then worked with an architect on developing the actual vision and literally on the last day of school the space was cleared out and gutted,” she said. 

In addition to the lab connecting students with the latest culinary tools and appliances, it also was essential due to growing enrollment in the program, Loch said.

“Previously, the space was used for meetings, extra classroom and a storage area. Our foods program was expanding to where we didn’t have enough lab space for those who were registering,” he said.  “This lab has allowed us to offer more classes to students who are interested in culinary as a future career path as well as a hobby.”

He added that the new new space has also enhanced the need for students to work in teams and reach common goals together – a must in cooking.

“As a class they start and finish together. They must work together, communicate, and work out any issues with the recipe or topic,” he said.

For more pictures from the day, click here to visit GBN's Facebook page.


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