Community STE[A]M Academy Brings Home State Title Championship
Students at the Community STE[A]M Academy (CSA) in Xenia recently won the state title at the Ohio Grown: Student Chef Showcase cooking competition.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) challenged all schools in Ohio to create an original recipe using fresh fruits, vegetables, and proteins to use in school meal programs. At CSA, the project began as an authentic extension of scientific inquiry in the high school integrated life science class.
“From learning how flour varieties affect tortillas to making chocolate; students were not just cooking, they were applying food chemistry, microbiology, sensory analysis, nutrition, and food safety concepts through real experimentation, testing, and problem-solving skills,” says Molly McAfee-Bandag, CSA high school science teacher.
Two groups of students answered the call, submitting their original recipes along with a nutrient analysis and cost breakdown. They needed to demonstrate that the recipe could be replicated as part of a school meal and served in cafeterias across the state. Team “Awesome Sauce” was chosen from more than 200 entries as a “Top 5 Finalist” with an invitation to the live cooking competition in Columbus.
The final recipe,“Sunset Fiesta Bowl,” was tested multiple times to ensure consistent results prior to the competition. Learning food safety protocol and prep skills from professional chefs helped the team prepare for the contest.
Teams had two hours to prep, cook, and plate their dishes. Each team presented their final dish to a panel of five judges. Recipes were judged on culinary techniques, such as knife skills executed (like chopping, dicing, or mincing) and cooking methods used (like baking, roasting, or sautéing). The recipe also was judged on the innovative use of ingredients and flavor combinations.
Team members from CSA were Jaslen Baldwin, Abhinav Bali, Kaleigha Granger, Logan King and Jose Rodriguez. The recipe will be a featured recipe on Ohio school menus the first month of school in the 2026-27 school year. They also earned a Champion banner.
Team member, Kaleigha Granger, said, “The competition was rewarding; our team had the opportunity to branch out to other people from across the state, learn from the best, and have fun. I wouldn't even say the best part was winning, it was genuinely the experience of getting to feel like a real chef and getting to do it with my friends.”