Now in its 27th year, King Arthur Flour’s Bake for Good: Kids Learn Bake Share Program encourages kids to give back to their community through baking nutritious bread from scratch. On November 18, the program kicked off their first presentation in the Tempe Elementary School District by visiting Fuller Elementary where 350 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students joined the other 300,000 kids nationwide who have also participated in the 50-minute demonstration.
“Learn. Bake. Share.” Those are the three main goals that the King Arthur Flour program aims to provide for kids,” says Paula Gray, Bake for Good: Kids program manager. “In the cross-curricular program, students learn about baking while using practical applications of math, science, and comprehension skills. They’re excited to take that knowledge home and bake two loaves of bread, which they then share with a community member in need.”
The first presentation held at Fuller Elementary was particularly ceremonious due to Bake for Good: Kids Instructor Libby Treadway’s alumni status at the school. Treadway attended Fuller as a Promoting Actualization through Creativity and Excellence (PACE) gifted student from fourth- through fifth-grade. Treadway is also the daughter of current PACE Teacher Diana Dohm, who has worked at Fuller and Broadmor Elementary on and off since 1995.
“It was very exciting to be back at the school presenting to Fuller students,” said Treadway. “I felt right at home!”
Treadway invited two students to help with her demonstration on how to prepare and bake bread. Fuller students not only learned how to create two different types of bread, but they also learned how to make cinnamon rolls and pizza dough.
At the end of the presentation, kids have the confidence and knowledge to bake. Each student was sent home with a reusable bag that contains King Arthur Flour’s all-purpose and white whole wheat flours, a recipe booklet, yeast, and a dough scraper. The package that students receive contains enough flour for two loaves of bread. One of the loaves must be returned to the school for donation, and the other can be enjoyed at home.
On November 28, Fuller Elementary students arrived to school after Thanksgiving break with a freshly baked loaf of bread in hand. The school collected a total of 187 loaves of bread, which went directly to The United Food Bank of Arizona.
“This is a great program from start to finish,” said Melissa Forrester, community outreach coordinator for The United Food Bank of Arizona. “It’s a fantastic hands-on opportunity for students to directly impact their community.”
The Bake for Good Program is planning to visit Broadmor, Nevitt, and Thew Elementary in the coming weeks with other TD3 schools in the works to participate in the new year.
The United Food Bank will transport bread donated from Tempe Elementary schools to local agencies that serve meals and provide food distribution days to those in need. The bread will either be served with a hot meal or sent home to share amongst family and friends.
“It makes me feel good when I help others,” said Fourth-Grade Student McKenna Andrews, who proudly held her braided challah bread. “I hope that whoever receives my bread enjoys it!”