Published by Henry Herald on December 18, 2015
Student-designed project addressing local hunger recognized nationally.
STOCKBRIDGE — Stockbridge High culinary arts students were among a handful of teams awarded a $5,000 grant for technology as winners in the national Lead2Feed Challenge Early Entry Drawing.
“We are quite excited for several reasons,” said food and nutrition instructor Leigh Jackson. She oversaw the Lead2Feed Challenge service learning project at Stockbridge.
The Lead2Feed Challenge is a program designed to develop leadership and teamwork skills in young people through service learning projects that address community needs such as fighting hunger.
The program — which aligns with the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards — was inspired by David Novak, the executive chairman of Yum! Brands. It was developed by the Foundation for Impact on Literacy and Learning with support from Yum! Brands Foundation and the Lift a Life Foundation.
While winners were randomly selected from registered teachers who completed and entered student-led Lead2Feed Challenge projects, officials noted the prize was well-earned at Stockbridge.
“The students worked really hard on this project and our being chosen really validated their work and commitment to this project,” said Jackson. “The Lead2Feed program is structured for high school students to be able to engage in personal and meaningful projects that they can design and lead themselves.”
Jackson said Lead2Feed Challenge technology grant will afford nine iPad Air 2 tablets and a $275 Apple card for Stockbridge’s culinary arts program and efforts to connect students with community service.
She said she is especially happy for the technology upgrade as the school embarks on becoming another to roll out personalized learning strategies in Henry County Schools next August.
“This extra equipment will be put to very good use as our students’ learning expands,” she said.
Jackson said that participating in the Lead2Feed Challenge Early Entry Drawing also qualifies Stockbridge for a Grand Prize of $25,000 in technology with another $25,000 cash to go to the school’s chosen charity.
The Grand Prize winner is expected to be announced in May.
To win this month’s preliminary technology grant, her culinary arts students established an in-school food pantry for their peers, faculty and staff who found themselves in temporary need of food assistance. The teens collected and distributed more than 500 items by offering incentives such as homework passes and cookies in the effort they called “Cookies for Cans.”
Jackson said she intends to continue the teen-driven campaign, which has proven successful thus far.
“Seeing a tangible ‘reward’ has already stirred up interest with the next group of students that will be moving through the program in January,” she said.
Principal Eric Watson, too, lauded the team’s collective efforts.
Watson said the students created a “Takeout Tuesday” program in which they prepare and provide dinners-to-order for faculty members.
The youngsters are also seen regularly pacing the halls between classes in the morning towing wheel carts of coffee for teachers to purchase, he added, noting the takeout and mobile cafe ventures help supplement the school’s popular culinary arts program.
“They are very visible within our school,” said Watson. “(Jackson) does a fantastic job with her program.”