Thirty student culinary teams from 16 Miami-Dade County public high schools competed for $20,000 in prizes on Feb. 8 at The Education Fund’s (EducationFund.org) Taste of Education presented by Sapoznik Insurance.
A panel of local top chefs judged their work and named the following teams winners:
Best in Show – Tiramisu Shots, G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School;
People’s Choice Award (fan favorite) – Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, Miami Northwestern Senior High;
First Place Vegetarian – Fresh Asparagus and Roasted Pepper Napoleons, Robert Morgan Education Center;
First Place Seafood – Corn Cakes with Shrimp Creole, Coral Gables Senior High;
First Place Meat/Poultry – Braised Beef Short Ribs with Red Onion and Quinoa, Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, and
First Place Dessert – Tiramisu Shots, G. Holmes Braddock Senior High.
Each winning team received cash prizes and each of the participating 30 teams received $600 to help purchase equipment and materials for their program.
A Taste of Education also celebrated the 270 volunteers in the 2017 Teach-A-Thon, a campaign that fosters awareness about the teaching profession and teaching quality, while raising money for educators and their students. This year, CEOs and local business and community leaders volunteered to “step into the shoes” of local educators. Each volunteer (Teacher Champion) teamed up with a Miami-Dade County public school teacher to prepare a lesson and deliver it to energetic students from grades K through 12.
The campaign, sponsored by Wells Fargo, Assurant Foundation and Sapoznik Insurance, kicked off on Oct. 1 and ended Jan. 31, however, fundraising ends on Mar. 31.
Volunteers included Wells Fargo regional president Hector Ponte and Sapoznik Insurance CEO Rachel Sapoznik, both of whom participated for the fourth straight year. Also featured were Florida Blue Market president Penny Shaffer; Carlos Orta, vice president for Carnival Corp.; Christine Barney, CEO of rbb Communications; Joe Natoli, executive vice president at Baptist Health South Florida, and Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce president Gene Schaefer.
Part of the Teach-A-Thon included raising money for local schools, with proceeds funding school supplies, field trips and other classroom activities. So far this year, Teacher Champions have raised more than $76,000 for The Education Fund’s programs in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Over the nine years The Education Fund has held the Teach-A-Thon, the campaign has raised more than $600,000 for local schools.
Sponsors included Wells Fargo; Miami Marlins; Assurant; Pinnacle Housing Group – Miami Florida USA; TD Bank; Ocean Bank; World Fuel Services; Florida City Gas; South Florida Business Journal; All Florida Paper; Career and Technical Education in Miami Dade; Biscayne Bay Brewing Company; Terrazas de los Andes, and Coca-Cola.
Participating Schools:
Coral Gables SHS
North Miami SHS
Miami Beach SHS
John A. Ferguson SHS
Hialeah SHS
Dr. Michael M. Krop SHS
North Miami Beach SHS
Miami Springs SHS
South Miami SHS
Miami Lakes Educational Center
G. Holmes Braddock SHS
Miami Jackson SHS
Miami Northwestern SHS
Robert Morgan Educational Center
Ronald Reagan SHS
Jose de Diego MS
The Education Fund brings innovative methods to our local public schools, informs the community about public education, and encourages private sector investment in public education. Due to its success in improving student outcomes, including improving science scores by 70 percent, eating habits by 50 percent and college enrollment by 34 percent, The Education Fund has won numerous awards, including the Greater Miami Chamber’s NOVO Award for Non-Profit Excellence and the Blue Foundation’s Sapphire Award. Visit educationfund.org.
