Watermelon Wednesday

September 2026 Issue #24

10th Anniversary Stories 

Cordova Elementary: Giving Teachers the Tools to Shape More Than Learners 

For ten years, Blue Watermelon Project’s Chef in the Garden Program has supported educators with the tools and resources to create meaningful, hands-on learning experiences for their students. 

At Cordova Elementary, two second-grade teachers share what happens when students who may struggle or feel shy in a traditional classroom are given space to explore, question, and discover in the garden. From watching butterflies to digging for sweet potatoes, students come alive in ways that remind us of the power of meeting learners where they are.

Watch the video to hear from these teachers and see what can grow when educators are supported to create space for every student to thrive.  

A Taste of Confidence: Students Discover a New Favorite

Just one month into the school year, students were building confidence and curiosity through hands-on cooking. In their first lesson making pumpkin seed hummus with aquafaba for a smooth consistency, many students were hesitant because hummus was unfamiliar. Once they tried it, however, they wanted more!

The experience surprised even students who called themselves “hummus haters,” creating an opportunity to talk about open-mindedness and the importance of trying new things. Students practiced cooking and measuring, took pride in the final product, and eagerly made samples to share with favorite staff and administrators.

The enthusiasm extended home, with several students taking hummus and recipe copies to their families so parents could taste what they had made.

Teachers described the recipe as a standout success:

• “This recipe was a hit with ALL the students. That’s pretty rare.”
• “Children cooking, measuring—they loved the final product!”
• “I had several students who liked it so much, they took some home to give to their parents to taste.”
• One teacher shared that the lesson prompted meaningful conversations about “open-mindedness and trying things even if we expect that we may not like them.”

Even the district superintendent, who visited to observe the cooking lesson, was impressed by the students’ engagement during their first cooking experience of the year.

In just one month, a simple recipe became an opportunity for students to try something new, build confidence, practice skills, and share their success with their families and school community.

Welcoming Our New School Partners! 🎉

We’re excited to welcome 28 student teams joining us for this year’s Feeding the Future culinary competition! Over the next four months, students will develop and refine their recipe ideas through three distinct milestones, where their creations will be reviewed for compliance, cost, and creativity.

Along the way, students will turn their ideas into recipes they’d be excited to see in their own cafeterias while building real-world culinary skills and gaining a voice in the future of school food.

Their work will culminate at Feeding the Future, where guest judges will select the top trays in each grade category—and event guests will have a chance to taste the creations and choose their favorite, too!

📅 Save the date! Early Bird tickets will be available soon for $100 each. Ticket prices have increased this year to help cover the costs of food, supplies, and rentals. We can’t wait to celebrate these students and our school partners!

📅 Saturday, January 23, 2027

📍6106 S 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85042

Rescheduled for September 16th!

Don't miss the final workshop in our public culinary training series!

Chef Tracy Dempsey, Chef Doug Robson, and Chef Charleen Badman will be teaching knife skills, batch cooking, and volume baking techniques. You can expect a fast-paced, hands-on experience while you rotate through each Chef-led station.

At the end, we'll share a meal together, and you'll leave with practical ideas and techniques that you can put to work immediately in school kitchens. 

📅 Wednesday, September 16, 2026

📍St. Vincent De Paul

Growing Brighter Futures, One Classroom at a Time

AZ Foothills Bank is deeply committed to the prosperity of the communities it serves, and giving back has always been an important part of who the Bank is. Through a new investment in Blue Watermelon Project’s Chef in the Garden program, the Bank is supporting educators across four Arizona counties as they bring hands-on cooking and gardening experiences into their classrooms.

The gift provides participating teachers with a $1,000 stipend to honor their efforts to incorporate gardening and culinary activities alongside core subjects. Through Chef in the Garden, educators also receive lessons featuring seasonal ingredients, instructional videos led by local farmers, gardeners and chefs, recipes, ingredients, and gardening supplies. These resources help students understand where their food comes from, care for their environment, and discover how the choices they make can influence their health.

Together, AZ Foothills Bank and Blue Watermelon Project are investing in educators and the students they serve. Through cooking and gardening experiences, students gain knowledge, practical skills, confidence and healthy habits they can carry with them beyond the classroom. This partnership gives teachers meaningful support and resources to create engaging learning opportunities that connect classroom lessons with everyday life at home and in the community.

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.