The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
It’s back to school for students across Colorado, but this year kids aren’t the only ones skipping off to the classroom—area chefs are headed there, too. Thanks to Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move To Schools (CMTS) program, chefs are being paired with schools around Colorado and the United States to teach children about good cooking, great nutrition, and healthy eating. “What’s really different about this initiative is that it’s a unified approach to instruction on healthy eating,” explains chef Keith Jones, an appointee of CMTS who represents a region of the Denver metro area. “It’s finally a nationwide program to teach children about real farm-fresh food.” Jones, culinary ambassador for Coosemans Denver, is paired with McGlone Elementary School in Denver to help motivate children to eat better and reduce rates of childhood obesity. “Chefs in America are rock stars right now,” says Jones. “There’s never been a better time to get our message across that cooking and eating well is really a cool thing to do.” Tip: To arrange for a CMTS chef to visit your school, fill out this form on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website.