Five incredibly talented teams of BVSD middle schoolers gathered on Wednesday, March 11 for the annual Middle School Iron Chef competition at the BVSD Culinary Center. Thirteen young chefs representing Aspen Creek K-8, Eldorado K-8, Horizons K-8, Monarch PK-8, Manhattan, and Centennial Middle School brought the heat as they demonstrated their culinary skills in a live cooking competition. These five teams were carefully selected from an impressive pool of 24 team applicants.

This year Americorp service member, Hailey Neuburger co-created the School Food Project’s Ambassador Program, along with BVSD middle and high school students. Through connecting with the BVSD Green Youth Council, she met students who care about sustainability, climate action, and the district’s environmental footprint. Their perspective, along with every other student voice districtwide, is essential to our mission — because the way students eat every day is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to reduce waste, support the local economy, nurture the land you are on and build healthier communities.