Our Middle Schoolers launched a new entrepreneurial program called Fun Food Fridays—two weeks a month—to fundraise for the two-year long Innovation Community Outreach Project the students are planning. The Middle School recently met with Mayor Fulop’s and Councilman Solomon to brainstorm what areas of need they can partner with the city to aid. They are currently considering ways they can support homeless people, provide access to mental health services for youth, and more.
For Fun Food Fridays, students make a freshly prepared lunch and sell it to interested teachers and school staff. The students decide on a menu, shop for ingredients, cook the meals, and deliver them to the teachers.
The first dish served was pav bhaaji—a savory dish from Mumbai. Each teacher received four pieces of bread and the flavorful vegetarian gravy made with potatoes, beans, carrots, tomatoes, onions, and masala.
Krupa Chhatbar, the school librarian and a parent of a Middle Schooler, tasted their first culinary creation.
“With guidance from Ms. Vidya (Middle School teacher), they got it right! From consistency to taste, it was perfect. There are many versions of this dish and the one they prepared hit close to home for me,” Krupa said. “The spice level was such that anyone with gentler taste buds would still enjoy it without compromising on the taste. I loved it!”
Parents, staff, and students are excited about the new program. The students learn about the preparation of a meal, and all those steps,but they’re also gaining financial literacy from menu planning, pricing out and shopping for the ingredients. It also helps the children appreciate the where their food comes from.
The other benefits include teaching the building blocks of running a business, including marketing and accounting. The entire process of shopping for ingredients, preparing food, delivery,, cleaning and maintenance of the space, and planning for the next dish helps take learning beyond the classroom and give the students real-world experience.
To learn more about Hudson Montessori School’s interdisciplinary, theme-based learning approach to education, the Montessori philosophy and methodology, or how the school fosters the love of learning for children aged 2 to eighth grade, please contact us.
