Cooking up Change puts student voices front and center in the national dialogue about school food.

The contest challenges high school students to create a great-tasting lunch that meets nutrition standards on a tight budget, using only ingredients commonly available for school food service.

Be a part of Cooking up Change! Healthy Schools Campaign is presenting an exciting series of healthy cooking competitions for high school students across the country during the 2012-2013 school year. The season will culminate with the national finals in Washington, DC on June 10, 2013. 

HSC launched Cooking up Change in Chicago in 2007 to engage student chefs and the broader community in a dialogue about school food reform and the need for more resources for our nation’s school meal program.

Now, HSC is building on the success of this flagship Chicago event by working with local sponsors in cities across the U.S. to host Cooking up Change healthy cooking contests. The finalists from these competitions, including the winners of the Chicago contest, are invited to compete in the national finals at the Department of Education in Washington, DC.

In addition to spotlighting remarkable student talent, Cooking up Change brings attention to the challenges of serving fresh, healthy school meals and the need for reform in our school food system.

Karen Duncan
Wife of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
“Everybody finds something they care about doing in life, something that empowers them and brings out their talent. I completely admire that these students have found such passion, creativity and vision for making good food. I thank them for focusing this talent on school food in particular. I am happy to be working with these students in Cooking up Change to help make their vision for school food a reality in their schools and in schools across the nation.”

Chris Kennedy
Founder, Top Box Foods
“I’m proud to partner with the students of Cooking up Change in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. I admire their dedication and passion to bring that fight directly into their schools and make a difference in their own lives and their fellow students’ lives. More nutritious and more affordable groceries and meal options are the focus of Top Box Foods as well, and together we will reach more people through churches, community organizations and schools. These students are a great example of how every individual can be a part of the solution in the epidemic of hunger.”

Cooking up Change Students on Real Orange
4.25.13 | PBS SoCal
Students from Valley High School discuss Cooking up Change with anchors and demonstrate one of their recipes.

Sandalwood students’ catfish tacos win city Cooking up Change contest
3.19.13 | Florida Times-Union
Students from Valley High School discuss Cooking up Change with anchors and demonstrate one of their recipes.

Students ‘Cooking up Change’ For St. Louis Public Schools
3.12.13 | St. Louis Public Radio
Student chefs from Beaumont High School and Clyde C. Miller Career Academy competed today for a place in the national school cooking competition Cooking Up Change.

St. Louis Teens Win Healthy Cooking Competition
3.12.13 | Riverfront Times
HSC’s Lindsay Eanet and Sara Porter discuss the winners of the St. Louis regional Cooking up Change competition with this alt-weekly’s food blog.