Watermelon Wednesday

November 2026 Issue #26

10th Anniversary Stories

National Philanthropy Day:

Bring a Friend to the Table

November 15. One friend. One shared purpose. More good together.

Philanthropy means the love of humankind. It’s about caring for one another and believing we can create a better future together.

The table is one place where that love comes to life. Through cooking, gardening, and hands-on food education, we bring students and families together to explore where food comes from, connect with the people who grow it, and build healthier, stronger communities.

This National Philanthropy Day, we celebrate the people and partnerships that make this work possible. We’re especially grateful to @sproutsfnd for its enduring partnership with Blue Watermelon Project and its commitment to healthier, more equitable communities. Together, we're bringing meaningful food education to classrooms, cafeterias, and school gardens, giving students and educators opportunities to learn, grow, and build lifelong connections with food.

But philanthropy is about more than giving. It's about inviting others to be part of something meaningful. One conversation can introduce someone to a cause they may never have known. One shared gift can extend its impact to even more students and families.

This November 15, bring one friend to the table.

Invite a friend, family member, or colleague to support Blue Watermelon Project—or another Arizona nonprofit advancing food education, cooking, and gardening. Share why the work matters to you. Start a conversation. Turn care into action.

Because when we give together, we do more than support good work. We grow connections, strengthen communities, and plant seeds for lasting change.

One friend. One gift. More good together.

Celebrate 10 Years by Giving Back This Holiday Season

As Blue Watermelon Project celebrates 10 years of impact, we’ve invited our partner school districts to join the celebration by welcoming volunteers to serve alongside their school nutrition teams during holiday meal services!

This special volunteer experience is a chance to give back to the school communities we love. Volunteers will help serve students and families on the lunch line, guide guests through the meal service, and keep dining spaces clean between services.

Whether you’re passionate about school food, community, or simply spreading a little holiday cheer, this is a meaningful way to make a difference—one meal and one smile at a time.

Volunteer opportunities are available November through December. Join us in celebrating 10 years of nourishing communities and making food education meaningful!

  Learning, Creating, & Tasting Something New!  

October’s culinary lesson was extra special as we celebrated Blue Watermelon Project’s 10 Year Anniversary! 

Chef Charleen’s Spigariello Frittata recipe introduced students to a special leafy green, learning the science behind egg coagulation and temperature control while practicing new culinary skills.

Teachers got creative with their connection of this lesson alongside core subjects ranging from math, geography and nutrition.

A recipe that makes learning hands-on and fun! Students had plenty of opportunities to get involved in the preparation, from cracking eggs to following each step of the recipe. The instructional video guided them through the process while reinforcing important kitchen skills, including knife safety, cooking safely around a hot stove, following recipe instructions, and tips for success.

Students described this month’s recipe as surprisingly delicious:

“I’m a picky eater, and that was GOOD.”
“This was so good I would eat this again!”
“I love spigariello!”
“I didn’t think I was going to like it, but can I have more!?”
“It was 100 out of 100. I am going to make this at home.”

Learning, creating, and tasting something new!

Students explored Arizona-grown food through hands-on experiences, discovered new flavors, and had fun learning together. Every lesson is an opportunity to build skills, spark curiosity, and grow confidence in the kitchen!

A Plant-Based Challenge for

Feeding the Future 2027

Student teams are taking on the plant-based challenge for Feeding the Future 2027! We are seeing 25% of our teams so far incorporating Arizona-grown beans into their recipes being developed for the competition in January. They are getting creative, collaborative, and we can’t wait to see (and taste!) these incredible ingredients being highlighted in student dishes. We are seeing tepary beans, moyocoba beans, and more being explored! When students create plant-based dishes featuring Arizona-grown beans, they are showcasing how local ingredients can be flavor-packed, plant-protein-rich meals that students will love. Follow along as this year’s students turn Arizona-grown beans into their next big idea - the future of school lunch might just start with a bean!

📅 Saturday, January 23, 2027

📍 6106 S 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85042

Emerging Impact: Building Stronger School Kitchen Teams Through Indigenous Foodways

Blue Watermelon Project’s (BWP) School Food Lab pilot is reimagining professional development by bringing school kitchen teams together to learn, collaborate, and shape menus that reflect their students’ needs and community values.

In partnership with Shannon Reina of Salt River Schools (SRS) and her team, BWP welcomed Chef Rob Kinneen of NATIFS (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems) for a two-day, hands-on workshop exploring traditional Southwestern Indigenous ingredients, including cholla buds, blue corn, mesquite flour, tepary beans, and bison.

Using recipes selected by Shannon, the team built culinary skills, shared expertise across roles, and explored new ways to bring culturally meaningful, scratch-made meals to students. By positioning frontline staff as active decision-makers, this approach strengthens teamwork and shared ownership, recognizing that lasting menu improvements grow from the collective knowledge of those preparing and serving meals every day. The pilot also supports the team’s commitment to accommodating food allergies and intolerances while expanding nourishing, culturally relevant options that celebrate students’ heritage and support their well-being.

This month, in celebration of Native American Heritage Month, students will get to experience the team’s favorite recipes from the workshop as they make their way onto SRS's school menus. By bringing together culinary expertise, collaborative professional development, and resources tailored to each school community, BWP is helping nutrition teams turn shared learning into meaningful, lasting impact for students.

Help Us Grow the Next 10 Years

As we celebrate Blue Watermelon Project's 10 year anniversary, we're inviting you to help us take the next step.

Reach just one more person.

Bring someone along: invite a friend to volunteer, join us at an event, share your experience, or support our work with a donation.

If every one of us brings one more person along, imagine what we can accomplish together in the next 10 years.

Thank you for being part of our community and for helping us grow it.