Who We Are
Sprouting Chefs is a not for profit group of committed individuals. We are parents, teachers, chefs, gardeners and community members and we are focused on improving the lives of youth throughout areas of Vancouver BC. We believe that healthy minds and bodies start with healthy eating. We believe that healthy eating begins with a thorough knowledge, understanding and appreciation of where our food comes from.
The seeds we plant in our garden are:
- Seeds of Legacy
- Seeds of Mentorship
- Seeds of Possibility
- Seeds of Friendship
- Seeds of Health
At Sprouting Chefs we provide children with opportunities to learn real life skills in garden and kitchen settings. Our vision is to inspire youth to view their world and the food they eat in a wholesome organic and healthy way. We believe that showing children where their food comes
from in the garden and how to prepare it in the kitchen, will lead them to be connected to their environment and their own health. We expect that this connectedness will reap incredible benefits. We achieve this vision by sowing seeds of knowledge:
- Where does food come from?
- How is food prepared?
- How healthy food promotes health and wellness
- What can be learned in the kitchen and garden?
- Incorporating cooking programs into established community programs
Our Team
- Barb McMahon – Founder & Project Director | Email: barb@sproutingchefs.com
- Steve Golob – Board Member, Chef Leader for UBC Summer Program
- Cheryl Shizgal – Board Member, Chair, Legal Advisor
- Mark Mogatas – Board Member, Secretary ,Elementary Curriculum Advisor
- Mark Halyk - Board Member Catered Art Chef/Owner link, Summer Program & High School Program
- Kim Campbell - Board Member
- Derek Page - Board Member, Treasurer
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Our Purpose
- To cultivate and facilitate programs for youth that empower them with self confidence in the skills they acquire in kitchen and garden settings
- To make a difference in the lives of youth and children by providing ways to live a healthier life
- To connect the lessons learned in the classroom to those lessons in the garden and kitchen settings
- To engage farms, schools & communities by providing wholesome, local foods to youth
- To be a sustainable program that grows from seed to table, elementary to high school, September to June and June to September
Our Values
Respect for Self.
Respect for Each Other.
Respect for the Earth.
We value the garden and all its stages of possibility. We value the kitchen, the heart of any home, the place where family & community gather to celebrate, nurture and inspire.
Our programs fosters mentorship by encouraging “sprouts” to cultivate future “seedlings” by joining older teens with younger elementary students, university students with high school students and community members who wish to give back and get back to nature.
Our Programs
Our Elementary Program incorporates classroom lessons in Social Studies, Science, Math, & Art to practical lessons in the garden and kitchen by encouraging schools to grow and develop kitchen gardens on their school grounds. We believe that making a real connection between where food comes from and how to eat well starts at a young age. From learning how a plant grows, how to yield its harvest and how to turn that same edible plant into a healthy meal; children will grow to respect the cycle of life and all the various stages of possibility in a garden setting.
Teens in our High School Program have the hands on experience of learning real life skills in our cafeteria hospitality program. Using a farm-to-school model of operation, allows Sprouting Chefs to provide schools with the healthiest most sustainable and locally inspired menus. Students eating and working in our cafeterias gain skills comparable to actual restaurant kitchens while learning the origins of their food and how food found locally can truly become the best meals they have eaten. Finally, the creation of a Sprouting Chefs Catering club gives even more opportunities for students to shine as they learn how to host, create, cook and serve for memorable school events and functions. Students from grades 8 to 12 come together in a unique way socializing and working together creating mentorship opportunities and life long memories.
As the school year closes, the real harvest can begin. With summer providing some of the best flavours, colours, and choices for the locally inspired dishes, the Sprouting Chefs Summer Program is an excellent introduction to the culinary arts for youth and children in Vancouver. Our Summer Day Camp Program is a fun way to “sprout” the “chef” within each participant with day camp sessions running from 9am to 3pm Mondays to Fridays throughout the summer months in various locations around Vancouver BC. Click here to read about our various Levels.
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