Religious Studies Major Works with Little Chefs

Little Chefs’ Comments I love this class. What are we making today? My best after school school! We make awesome food, right? Taking turns is hard. Can I come next time too? My grandpa always asks if I saved him some to try.

Religious Studies Student Teaches Little Chefs

When professor Klaus Irrgang gave to the high school. They came to have Askim Chundu the choice of fun. They had circle time, passed the writing a term paper for his Principles “talking ball” around, and listened as of Nutrition class or leading the Little each told how the week had gone. They Chefs program in read a story from The the nearby town of 7 Habits of Happy Kids Bentley, Askim didn’t (by Sean Covey) and have to debate long. discussed the social That was back in skills it presented. February 2017. Since They played games. then, Askim has led They worked on Little Chefs three crafts. They tied their times, first for a class aprons and cooked. assignment, then for himself. They made banana muffins, personal That first year, Askim, pizzas (with English a religious studies muffins), pancakes, major in his freshman Askim the storyteller is just as a fruit salad, and year, found himself popular with his students as is cookies. They even writing lesson plans, Askim the chef! made a frog cake by deciding on recipes, planning games pouring batter into a frog-shaped pan, and crafts, finding stories with a social baking it, and decorating it with green learning component, shopping for icing. All were recipes they could make groceries, and driving 30 kilometers under adult supervision at home. west of Lacombe twice a week for six weeks to meet with 10 first- and second-graders for a popular afterschool program called Little Chefs— one that always has a waiting list. Askim reports, “Together we stood around a table making these recipes, sometimes taking turns pouring ingredients into a bowl, sometimes holding the electric mixer. For the The Bentley Seventh-day Adventist fruit salad all the kids actually cut the Church partners with the Town of fruit—with butter knives, of course. Bentley, Burman University, and As we worked, I told them about Bentley High School to run Little Chefs. the ingredients and explained what’s Karen Baumbach (HS ‘75), a local required of a chef.” farmer, and Barb Carson from Bentley’s Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) supervise, assist, and support. The high school lends its food lab space. Middle and high school students volunteer. Askim was responsible for facilitating each session. Now in his senior year, Askim has decided that he likes working with kids. He laughingly admits, “I feed off their energy and become a kid again.” He is considering graduate work in chaplaincy or even social work. His religious studies major will remain the The 2020 program was changed to two foundation for a career of service, but hours once a week. So at 3:30 every his Principles of Nutrition class project Wednesday afternoon, the little ones has changed his approach. “God works from the grade school crossed the street in mysterious ways!”