Slow cooking at Prince Charles P.S.

Mar 04, 2015

In an effort to teach practical life skills to students in the Limestone District School Board (LDSB), a new pilot project called Slow Cookers for Kids was launched at three Kingston area schools, and last week the three-day program was introduced to grade 7 and 8 students at Prince Charles Public School in Verona. The project is run by the Enactus St. Lawrence College (SLC) program and delivered by Chef Thomas Elia and his culinary students at St. Lawrence College in Kingston.

Slow Cookers for Kids is one of Enactus's many projects designed to “reduce poverty and hunger, while promoting entrepreneurship, literacy life skills by creating comprehensive solutions to issues within the greater community.”

The Slow Cookers For Kids program resulted from Chef Elia's Food Sense program, which he runs at St. Lawrence College. Food Sense shows post-secondary students how to survive on an OSAP food budget of $7.50/day, which Chef Elia said is “pretty hard to do if you don't know how to cook”.

Given the fact that hot plates are not allowed in the student rooms at St. Lawrence, Elia introduced the idea of healthy and inexpensive cooking with the help of a slow cooker. “The beauty of a slow cooker is that it is safe and that it works 100% of the time.” he said.

Next, Chef Elia partnered up with Jason Quenneville, the technology teacher at First Avenue Public School in Kingston, and with the help of his students brought the Slow Cooker for Kids program to schools in the LDSB. The program teaches grade 7 and 8 students how to prepare and cook a number of healthy, inexpensive meals with the help of a slow cooker.

I visited Prince Charles during the final day of the program on February 26, where the students were preparing chocolate cake and a curry lentil dish, both made using a slow cooker. Chef Elia had the full attention of the students as he put the finishing touches on both items. Other meals prepared by the students during the program included vegetarian lasagne, and black bean soup and each meal cost on average about 50 cents per serving.

The students, who participated in the program not only learned the ins and out of slow cooking, but at the end of the program each received a canvas bag filled with the ingredients to create their own meal at home; a recipe book titled "Recipes for an Empty Wallet"; and last but not least their very own Hamilton Beach slow cooker.

Robert Riddell, a second-year culinary student at St. Lawrence, was one of four students teaching the PCPS students. He was thrilled with the opportunity to work with the students at PCPS. “It's a real pleasure to work with the students here and the program gives me an opportunity to share my skills and my trade and is a great way to give back to the community.”

Chef Elia, who to date has brought the program to three schools in the LDSB, was equally enthusiastic about how the program has been received. “What is truly amazing is that we did not know if we would be able to get young kids to eat this kind of stuff - lentils, curry and beans - and we have found the response to be phenomenal. Not only do the students love to cook, but they also love the meals and are taking the crock pots home, where they are making meals for their families.”

Elia said he hopes to see the program continue on at LDSB schools and that it is quickly grabbing the attention of other schools across Canada.

Funding for the program came from a partnership between Enactus SLC and the LDSB, and Elia said that a trust fund is currently being set up at the LDSB so that more slow cookers can be purchased for the program.

One student said, prior to digging into her bowl of lentil curry, that the program will definitely encourage more cooking at home for herself and her family.

For more information visit enactusslc.ca