What began as a group project last spring is impacting school lunches at the high school this fall!
Indian Lake 11th grade English teacher Mrs. Elizabeth DeLeeuw challenged her students to, in some way, help their community with a Project Based Learning presentation called “A Pebble Into a Pond.”
Mrs. DeLeeuw says, “PBL helps motivate students to gain knowledge and remember it longer. Projects give students the chance to apply the skills they learn in school to personally relevant and real-world situations.”
One group, comprised of then-juniors (now seniors) Cooper Hall, Makenna Hurley, Annie Rapp, Kade Richardson, Noah Shirk and Caleb Timms, came up with the idea to add new items to the ILHS school lunch menu. Their goal was to add desired menu items that are healthy and increase the variety of dishes.
But Cooper Hall admits, it was not easy to alter the lunch menu.
“We couldn’t just make a wish list of wanted items. We had to work with the principal and the cafeteria to make sure the food we proposed would meet all the nutritional requirements,” Hall said.
The group members did some research on what menu items other schools offer and talked to students about what they’d like to see added and/or eliminated in the lunch line. Then they compiled a list of desired dishes and submitted it to Principal Kyle Wagner and District Food Service Director Brenda Oda. Once that list was approved, Oda had to send the proposal to the Ohio Department of Education to make sure it met the federal guidelines.
“After meeting, we then put their suggestions in my program that figured all the nutrients and carbs, etc. The menu was approved and we proceeded from there. We did not have time to use it last year because the school year was winding down. I told them I would use it the first full month of this year,” Oda explains.
Thursday was first time one of the new suggested items was served in the ILHS Cafeteria. Several students were excited to sample the Pretzel Bites with Cheese. Other items making their debut on the menu in the next few weeks are Orange Chicken, Baked Potatoes, General Tso Ramen Dish, French Toast, Chicken Quesadilla, and an Italian Wrap.
Mrs. DeLeeuw says she is proud of the group for using their project to create positive change in the school.
“This was the first year we were really able to see the whole PBL unit through from start to finish, and I am so proud of these kids for what they have done. Each group created something unique that benefited their community.” DeLeeuw continues.
“I could not be happier and cannot wait to hear the feedback regarding the new menu items and how this group impacted the school.”