Illinois Student Guest Chefs

The school kitchen is proving to be a popular choice for some Illinois students to cash in on their good behavior rewards. The “star bucks” rewards can get them perks such as having lunch with the principal or providing a pass to skip homework for a day. But elementary students at two McHenry School District 15 schools have enjoyed the option to redeem their rewards to be guest chefs for the day, according to the district food services director. 

“I am overwhelmed by how many students want to cash in their reward bucks to join the nutrition staff,” said Kevin Harris, M.S., Ed., SNS, Director of Food Services for McHenry School District 15. “We had to limit how many coupons were sold this spring.”

Guest chefs go down to the school cafeteria about 10 minutes before their lunch period, get an apron and chef’s hat, wash their hands and put on gloves. Their roles in the kitchen and cafeteria depend on their grade level. Older students get the opportunity to help serve their classmates while the younger students can help push the trays along the food line. Once serving is finished, students are allowed to spray down trays and pur them into the dishwasher, a student favorite activity, according to Harris. The guest chef experience is topped off with a tour and photos. 

“The children love to see how big the walk-in fridge and freezers are and how the ice machine makes ice cubes,” said Harris.

After the tours, guest chefs have their hats signed by members of the nutrition team and are given a certificate of accomplishment for their work.  Harris says the nutrition employees seem to enjoy the guest chef program as much as the students.

“Staff members love to show the children what it takes to bring them lunch each day and to take photos with the students,” said Harris. He has received a lot of positive feedback from the school administration and is looking forward to expanding the guest chef experience to more schools in McHenry School District 15.  It doesn’t take a lot to get started, just a few chef hats and aprons purchased on Amazon; Harris says he’s fortunate to have a staff member who likes to personalize the aprons for students.

Harris says other school nutrition programs have reached out to him to bring a similar program to their schools after seeing the popularity of it at McHenry School District 15.