Have you seen the recent press suggesting that post-pandemic youth are becoming ruder in the classroom? An EcoCooks collaboration between high school and elementary students tells a very different story!
When three EcoCooks grade 10 classes “buddied up” with grade 1 and 2 students to guide them through the art of play-dough making, their patience, teamwork, problem-solving skills, and ability to navigate uncertainty were on full display. The grade 10 “Career-Life Education” students honed valuable employable skills, while their younger buddies gained essential food literacy knowledge (not to mention some seriously enviable play-dough!).
Together, a grade 1 student and a grade 10 student carefully measured and portioned out oil for their play-dough, fostering teamwork and mentorship in the process.
While we had high expectations for the high schoolers, a grade 1 teacher shared that her students “absolutely loved” making play-dough with their older counterparts. Throughout the day, teachers and adults in the room were particularly impressed by the leadership and creativity on display. An attending school counselor noted that these types of experiential learning opportunities bring out the best in youth.
“It was nice to have help from the big buddies.” - Grade 1 student
“I liked adding the googly eyes on the play-dough. I made a mouse at home!” - Grade 1 student
A massive thank you to the teachers from Eric Hamber and Van Horne for making this collaboration possible!