Students from the Umatilla High School recently joined forces for a special project centered around charcuterie boards. Led by Ms. Nygren, a teacher, and Ms. Starliper, the school district’s nutrition director, alongside support from Mr. Sipe, also a teacher, the students were able to showcase their skills in a unique way.
The project began when Ms. Starliper reached out to Ms. Nygren’s Food and Travel Class for help in creating a charcuterie board recipe that would meet specific child nutrition guidelines to enhance the school’s grab-and-go lunch options. After Ms. Starliper presented the nutrition guidelines, students spent two days formulating their recipes that balanced nutrition, flavor, and portion sizes. The recipes were voted on, and the top three were sent to Ms. Starliper for consideration for lunch options.
To bring this project to life, students made their own boards to sell. This provided students with the opportunity to practice their food handling skills and the chance to use creativity to create a product for a customer. Ms Nygren discussed with students how charcuterie boards are common at special events and holidays. They decided to create charcuterie boards for Valentine’s Day as part of a fundraiser.
The physical charcuterie boards were first crafted by students from Mr. Sipe’s woodshop class, who were able to utilize the woodworking skills they’ve learned this year. These boards were then handed over to Ms. Nygren’s class for the assembly of the food items. Students selected the most popular ingredients from their previous recipes for the final boards.
The finished charcuterie boards included cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, alongside salami and ham. Fruits such as strawberries and grapes, and the crunchy veggies carrots and cucumbers, were added as a refreshing touch. Completing the boards were nuts, crackers, and a side of ranch dressing for added flavor.
As part of the fundraiser, these boards were sold to staff members at the high school for $30 each as a special Valentine’s Day treat to be shared with loved ones. The proceeds from the sales will support students in attending events for FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America). Coming up soon is the FCCLA State Competition in March, which thirteen students will be attending from Umatilla High School.
Ms. Nygren shared that students really enjoyed approaching their teachers and asking if they were interested in purchasing a board. They had a lot of fun with this project!
