Chef In The Garden Program Application

Applications still being accepted.

Slow Food Phoenix’s (SFP) mission is to create a diverse and inclusive food community that supports good, clean and fair food for all by educating, advocating and connecting. Blue Watermelon Project (BWP), an Initiative of Slow Food Phoenix, is a grassroots group of chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, and community food advocates. 

Blue Watermelon Project’s Vision: 

We see a future in which all people have a taste for a diverse array of food, one in which schools have served students fresh and healthy options, families have been given equitable and culturally-appropriate access, and all have been given the knowledge and freedom to be nourished, ready to learn and poised for academic and social success. 

The Chef In The Garden program is simple: chefs design a recipe inspired by garden ingredients, then teach students how to cook a meal. The school administrators and teachers prepare the logistics and invite parent volunteers. Chefs also partner with local farmers and vendors to supplement the garden ingredients. 

In 2020, BWP needed to adjust our Chef In The Garden approach to continue to serve our school children during the COVID pandemic. Thus, CITG School Kits were created, along with virtual learning lessons. In the 2020-21 school year, BWP’s Virtual CITG has reached 13 schools, grades PreK-6th, across Mesa, Scottsdale and Phoenix. At the close of May 2021, our project will have reached a total of 1,415 students in 6 months. 

REQUEST FOR APPLICATION INFORMATION: 

Key Dates: 

● Awarded applicants will be placed into groups for participation on a monthly rotation for Virtual and/or In-Person CITG experiences offered by grade group or classroom up to 30 students. (Note: BWP staff will work to identify gaps in V/CITG rotation needs).

● For awardees participating in the first rotation, expect to receive your first kits as early as August 2021.

Eligibility: 

Who can apply for Blue Watermelon Project’s Chef In The Garden Program 2021-22? 

The following types of organizations are eligible to apply: 

● Public Schools 

● Public Charter Schools 

● Private schools with 501c3 non-profit status 

● Private charter schools 501c3 non-profit status (US) 

● School districts supporting a garden at a public or a non-profit private school

● Childcare Facilities including center-based or community-based licensed childcare facilities. 

In order to achieve BWP/CITG goals, we require the following at each school site:

1. A Garden: Ideally, each school will have a garden, but at the very least, the desire to implement a school garden with or without BWP support. Our impact is tied to connecting students to their food, engaging them in the process of growing their garden, and using the ingredients to prepare a meal with local Chefs, so having a garden onsite is imperative. A school committing to being a Chef in the Garden School, will have, or be working toward, a garden of some sort. We will be developing a toolkit for schools to grow a garden, if they do not have one already, to assist in this process. 

2. A Site Representative and a Parent Committee: Additionally, we require a school staff member to be willing to spearhead the program, and/or a parent committee dedicated to CITG in order to ensure successful coordinator and garden sustainability and longevity. 

Site Representative Responsibilities: 

● Coordinate CITG experiences with rotating grades/classrooms and CITG Project Manager 

o Student and Teacher Evaluation (Monthly and Annual) 

o Curriculum Integration Needs (Ongoing) 

● Assemble or attend school garden committee meetings to take note for on-site needs

● Assist with funding and school staff/volunteer engagement pipeline for sustainability. 

To apply, please fill out this Google Form. Questions may be directed to Nicole Lynch, bluewatermelonproject@gmail.com