Aramark Student Nutrition Partners with Cornerstone Christian Schools’ 4-H Program
Aramark Student Nutrition is going beyond serving meals to inspire lifelong skills, curiosity, and confidence among students by transforming school kitchens into classrooms. Through hands-on culinary education, the company is helping young learners understand where food comes from, how it is prepared, and why nutrition matters—lessons that extend far beyond the lunch line. This fall, students at Cornerstone Christian Schools in San Antonio, Texas, are experiencing this approach firsthand through an interactive after-school cooking program led by Executive Chef Ashley West in partnership with the school’s 4-H program.
The monthly “Food and Nutrition” class is designed as a two-hour immersive experience that blends 4-H’s structured curriculum with Chef Ashley’s professional culinary expertise.Nutrition Together, they create an engaging environment where students learn how to cook from scratch, explore ingredients in their most basic form, and develop foundational kitchen skills while building healthier relationships with food. The program emphasizes hands-on participation, encouraging students not only to follow recipes but also to understand the “why” behind each step.
For Chef Ashley West, teaching children how to cook is about more than recipes or techniques—it is about empowering them with skills that will serve them for a lifetime. “Teaching kids to cook is one of my passions,” West said. “It’s about slowing down, bonding, and giving them the skills they’ll use forever. Watching their excitement as they create something from scratch is incredible.”
Chef Ashley has carefully mapped out the entire school year’s program, intentionally pairing each month’s featured recipe with a complementary 4-H learning module. Her goal is to ensure that students walk away with both practical kitchen skills and a deeper understanding of food systems, nutrition, and preparation methods.
“I want them to learn how to make food from scratch so they know what ingredients look like in their bare form and what they can create with those things,” she explained.
The program officially launched in September, when students gathered for their first after-school session eager to step into the kitchen. The Nutrition kickoff lesson featured Chef Ashley’s famous chocolate chip cookies—a favorite among students and staff alike. While baking cookies may seem simple, the class focused on essential kitchen fundamentals, including sanitation, safety protocols, equipment identification, dry measuring techniques, and the concept of mise en place, or preparing and organizing ingredients before cooking.
Nutrition By the end of the lesson, students not only had warm cookies in hand but also a clear understanding of how preparation and organization contribute to successful cooking. Each student took home a printed recipe along with their homemade treats, ready to share with friends and family—or enjoy themselves.
October’s class raised the skill level by introducing homemade chips and dips, an activity that allowed students to practice knife skills and safe cooking techniques. Under Chef Ashley’s guidance, students prepared fresh pico de gallo and guacamole, learning how to handle knives properly while chopping tomatoes, onions, garlic, and cilantro. They also made tortilla chips from scratch and learned safe frying methods, gaining confidence around heat and stovetop cooking. “It’s exciting to see an 8-year-old eating fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, and cilantro,” West said. “When kids are invested, their palates grow and their mindset around fresh food changes.”
In November, the focus shifted to pumpkin pie and seasonality, offering students an opportunity to connect food preparation with agriculture and the natural growing cycle. Chef Ashley walked students through how pumpkins grow from seed to harvest, helping them understand how produce makes its journey from the farm to their plate. For many students, it was the first time they had considered the origins of the ingredients they use. “As adults, we take that knowledge for granted,” West noted. “But for kids, it’s eye-opening.” The lesson reinforced the importance of seasonal eating while tying culinary skills to broader food education.
December brought a festive twist as students learned to make Christmas cookies just in time for the holidays. The class combined creativity with technique, allowing students to practice baking fundamentals while embracing the joy of cooking for others. For many families, the cookies became part of holiday traditions, reinforcing the idea that cooking is a meaningful way to connect and celebrate.
Looking ahead, the program is set to continue building on these foundations with increasingly advanced lessons. Plans for the remainder of the school year include classes centered on canning and pickling, teaching students traditional preservation techniques and food safety principles. Students will also tackle the labor-intensive process of making sourdough bread from scratch, learning about fermentation, patience, and precision. The year will conclude with homemade pasta, a capstone lesson that brings together many of the skills students have developed throughout the program.
Beyond individual recipes, the program places strong emphasis on healthy eating habits and local sourcing. Chef Ashley incorporates farm-to-table concepts by sourcing local eggs, honey, and seasonal produce through partnerships with Texas farms. These efforts help students understand the value of supporting local agriculture while reinforcing lessons about freshness, quality, and sustainability.
“Cooking is a skill that lasts forever,” West said. “Whether these students pursue culinary arts or simply cook for their families at home, they’ll carry these lessons with them for life.”
The program is made possible through a collaborative partnership between Aramark Student Nutrition and Cornerstone Christian Schools’ 4-H program. The 4-H program provides supplies and educational resources, while Chef Ashley brings her professional training and real-world culinary experience into the classroom. Students who participate can earn State 4-H credit and have opportunities to compete at the county, district, and state levels using their newly developed culinary skills. Cornerstone Christian Schools’ 4-H program is open to students in grades 3 through 12, making the initiative accessible to a wide range of learners.
This hands-on culinary program is one example of Aramark Student Nutrition’s broader commitment to enriching student experiences beyond daily meals. In addition to the 4-H Culinary Program at Cornerstone Christian Schools, the company supports initiatives such as the Junior Chef Academy at Northwest Independent School District and paid summer culinary internships at Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District. Together, these programs aim to equip students with practical, real-world skills that build confidence, encourage healthy lifestyles, and open doors to future career pathways.
By fostering culinary curiosity and empowering students with essential life skills, Aramark Student Nutrition is helping shape a generation that understands food not just as something to eat, but as something to create, appreciate, and share—one recipe at a time.
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