Promoting Cultural Diversity Through Food
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BY ChInEnYE anOkWuRu
new wave of young chefs are getting trained to build bridges and connect with other cultures by cooking. Coming from different cultures, these chefs are able to bring different ideas, flavours and stories to this culinary experience. The Chefs in Training program, an initiative of the CHeP Good Food Inc. in saskatoon, incorporates strong cultural components that allow its young participants from a diversity of backgrounds to connect through food.
The participants are elementary and high school children within the ages of ten to 14, and 16 to 18, selected from schools in saskatoon’s core neighborhood. most of
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the participants are from Indigenous and newcomer backgrounds, looking for an interesting new way to explore culture.
Jean Goerzen, interim director, CHeP, says the initiative is tailored to helping newcomers and Indigenous students to engage with other cultures while also encouraging cultural diversity. The program recognizes that the students and their families have diverse food traditions and practices and encourages them to learn about different food and beverage options and practices in Canada, as well as those from around the world. “Typically about one third of the participants are Indigenous and one third are newcomers. This is an initiative that
SPRInG 2020