Skyline High School

Skyline High School was created in 1970 and was one of the first magnet and career development programs.  The students are about 98% latino and are considered at risk because they have a low socioeconomic status.  My students eat mainly processed foods so it's my efforts to expose them to whole foods.  I've been a culinary arts instructor for Skyline only a year and see the gaps where our program can grow into something pretty amazing.  I take my students to Bonton Farms - an urban farm in the middle of a food desert community in Dallas to expose them to sustainabilty and how many people are lacking in nutrition,  I also had my students participate in a Kids Teaching Kids 21 Day Challenge.  One of our hospitals put together a cook book and tour elementary schools to teach children proper nutrition.  In my quest to follow the Texas ProStart Program, I also want to expose the students to what food should be and not what it's become.  My goal is to train myself first at the Edible Schoolyard then take a few students the following summer to train them.  We do have a garden, but it's not maintained properly.  Even though our culinary arts program has been around for 47 years, the direction I want to take it in is new to us.  I'm still formulating what it will look like and would love to have support and ideas.