Godwin Heights — “If I spread my fingers out and then go to use a knife, what do you think is going to happen?” asked Richard Muschiana, chef at The Søvengård, as he cut a squash with his fingers spread over the vegetable.
The four Godwin Heights Middle School students standing in the Godwin Mercado kitchen took a minute to think about it, and one finally answered, “You could cut your fingers.”
“Correct,” Muschiana said as he pulled back and curled his fingers. “We need to make sure our fingers stay out of the way of the knife.”
The students, part of the TEAM 21 after-school program, had been invited to participate in a hands-on culinary event hosted by H.O.P.E. Gardens, and held with community partners that included The Søvengård, located in Grand Rapids, and Wyoming’s Mitten Floral and Godwin Mercado.
TEAM 21 partners with H.O.P.E. Gardens, hosting a community garden where students learn about different fruits and vegetables.
“The students see the growing side of the plants through the garden,” said Libby Mason, lead gardener and educator for H.O.P.E. Gardens, who coordinated the event. “The idea was to give them an opportunity to see what happens to the food after it’s grown, such as the process of a restaurant,” she said, adding that people engage with food in many ways, including growing, preparing and savoring it.
‘It’s a great example of how after-school programs like TEAM 21 support learning, confidence and community connection beyond the classroom.’
— Team 21 site coordinator Serana Haas
Local Food & Sustainability
The event took place in the Godwin Mercado, 301 36th St. SW, in front of the district’s athletic fields.
Opened this summer, the Godwin Mercado serves as an open air market and community event space, said Krashawn Martin, the City of Wyoming’s recreation director. The hands-on culinary event was one of the first community events held there.
Students created table settings and flower arrangements, and learned how various foods are used to prepare a meal.
“We hope that by making a simple meal, the students will gain applicable skills that they can take with them,” Mason said.
James Hissong, Kent ISD director of grants and strategic planning, noted that the event was partially funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program. The two-year grant, which totals $100,000, aims to increase the availability of local foods in schools and help connect students to the sources of their food through education.
Team 21 site coordinator Serana Haas said the event also fits with the program’s farm-to-school initiative, which focuses on helping students learn about local food, sustainability and cooking fresh ingredients.
“It’s a great example of how after-school programs like TEAM 21 support learning, confidence and community connection beyond the classroom,” Haas said.
“It was fun,” said eighth-grader Lucy Lahai. “I like meeting new people, and it’s good to see how what we grew can be used.”
Napkin Folding & Food Prep
During the two-hour event, middle-schoolers took turns at three stations.
At one, they made a lemonade basil drink, first by rolling the lemons to make it easier to get the juice out, sixth-grader Nadia Rockett explained.
They added a teaspoon of basil syrup made from basil grown at the middle school’s garden. The final step was to add either fizzy strawberry-flavored water or regular water.
“It’s good,” said Lucy after tasting the drink she made.
Students also set tables and worked to create centerpieces with Monique Garcia, owner of Mitten Floral.
“We are showing them how they can recycle anything — old bottles, vases they have — and then use that to bring a little color to their table,” Garcia said.
‘The students see the growing side of the plants through the garden. The idea was to give them an opportunity to see what happens to the food after it’s grown.’
— Libby Mason, lead gardener and educator for H.O.P.E. Gardens
Students selected three flowers and then arranged them with greenery in a vase that they got to take home.
“I learned that you need to change the water every day or every other day,” Nadia said. “Also, if you do not have the flower food, you can use bleach — just a tiny, tiny, tiny bit.”
In the kitchen, students assisted Muschiana in preparing a meal with ingredients including squash and other produce from the school garden, supplemented by locally sourced items.
They cut up squash and apples to make mostarda, a northern Italian condiment. The items were placed in an Instant Pot along with mustard, mustard seeds and pickled raisins. They also made grilled cheese sandwiches with sliced pears.
“I’ve never had grilled cheese with fruit in it,” said sixth-grader Ja’Carius Hill, who added it “wasn’t bad.”
Read more from Godwin Heights:
• Middle-schoolers taste, vote on cafeteria contenders
• First-time history competitors advance to the state level
