Sammy Lyon and Betsy Rivera

Lyon and Rivera’s innovative teaching idea, “Top Chef: The People’s Food,” is focused on empowering students with the knowledge, skills and practical experience to lead their school and local communities toward environmentally sustainable practices. The two teachers will use the project to challenge high school students to think critically about food sources and access, teach students to prepare and share healthy and affordable meals, and facilitate the creation of “food justice” exhibits to educate peers, parents and community members. The program will culminate in a youth-hosted community event at the high school featuring interactive games, presentations and a cook-off. Students will learn practical skills to become community advocates by working in teams to plan the event, design games and organize the cooking competition. The winning chefs and game designers will have the opportunity to transform their booths into a traveling science exhibit, using cross-age mentoring to teach healthy eating habits to younger students in their community.