Cooking up Change Is Tonight!
November 17, 2016 | Written By: Healthy Schools Campaign
For Juarez student Mari, being able to design a school meal means getting to work with her friends and fellow students to develop dishes that represent their culture. “We get to show people where we come from and the things we see on a regular basis,” she says.
Participating in the Cooking up Change competition also inspired Mari to walk down to her school’s cafeteria and talk to the cafeteria workers about the challenges they face every day. “I learned that there was more to it than just serving food,” she says. Mari and her teammates got insight into that during the competition because they have to follow the same nutritional and budgetary guidelines as those cafeteria workers.
Mari is just one of the nearly 100 incredible student chefs who will be at Cooking up Change tonight. These students will gather at the Bridgeport Art Center to prepare, present and serve delicious school meals.
And you’re invited!
You’ll meet Chicago’s rising culinary stars, sample their innovative dishes, vote for your favorite dish on social media, play to win in our raffle, raise a glass and enjoy the view—and, of course, be part of an event that is changing the future of school food in Chicago and across the country.
If you’ve already purchased tickets, your name will be at the door. If you haven’t purchased tickets yet, no worries! Tickets will be sold at the door. Bite size and Grand Prize Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at the event throughout the evening.
If you are from outside of Chicago or cannot attend, you can make a donation or purchase Grand Prize Raffle tickets online. You can also bid on items in our silent auction through our mobile bidding site.
Event Details
Cooking up Change
Thursday, November 17, 6-10 p.m.
Skyline Loft at the Bridgeport Art Center
1200 W. 35th St., Chicago
Join the Conversation!
Whether you’re joining us in person or supporting us from afar, you can follow the action and join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #cookingupchange. Vote for your favorite student dish at the event by posting to social media with specific hashtags. Look for the signs at the student stations! You can also follow Healthy Schools Campaign on Twitter (@healthyschools), Facebook and Instagram for live updates from the event.
Transportation
If you take the CTA, a free shuttle will run between the Sox-35th Red Line stop and the Bridgeport Art Center every 15 minutes from 5 to 11 p.m. If you’re driving, the Bridgeport Art Center is easily accessible from I-90/94, Lake Shore Drive and I-55. Free parking is available onsite.
The Chicago competition is just the beginning of an incredible nationwide contest. The winning team from Chicago will join other winning teams from across the country when they compete at the Cooking up Change National Finals in Washington, D.C., next June. We’ll announce the full Cooking up Change 2016-2017 schedule soon!
We couldn’t put on such a great contest every year without the support of our generous sponsors including: Chicago presenting sponsor and National School Nutrition Partner, Aramark; Heroes, Aetna and Sammons Financial Group; Champion sponsors RJB Properties and School Health Corporation; Official Education Partner, Chicago Public Schools CTE Culinary Arts Program; Culinary Scholarship sponsor, Washburne Culinary Institute; National Gold level sponsor National Food Group, National Gold Supporter, Newman’s Own Foundation; Official Travel Partner, Southwest; Official Culinary Partner, James Beard Foundation; and National Silver level sponsor, American Federation of Teachers.
