Andersen Elementary School, part of the Chandler Unified School District (CUSD), started the Rocket Fuel Culinary Club during the 2024-2025 school year. This program from CUSD Nutrition is designed to inspire and educate young chefs with a passion for cooking.
Rocket Fuel meets twice a week, blending hands-on learning with practical cooking skills. On Mondays, sessions are focused on foundational cooking skills such as identifying ingredients, measuring ingredients accurately, studying nutritional information, and creating tasty meals.
Thursdays are dedicated to applying what the young Andersen Astronauts learned. They dive into real-world cooking scenarios, follow recipes, learn how to use kitchen tools, and execute various cooking techniques.
“The most entertaining thing to watch so far has been watching students separate the egg yolks from the egg whites,” said April Carpenter, Andersen Elementary’s Kitchen Manager. Carpenter started the program after hearing students express strong interest in culinary education. “The culmination of their efforts is the creation of a dish they can be proud of, reinforcing their knowledge through practical experience.”
The goal of the program is to lay solid groundwork for an understanding of food and cooking basics. The response to the new club was so overwhelming that it reached full capacity quickly and staff members created a waitlist.
Rocket Fuel is supported by CUSD Nutrition staff members. Club sponsors also work with district dietitians to ensure that all recipes follow the USDA guidelines that encourage healthy nutrition and choices.
Carpenter credits the support from CUSD Nutrition leadership and the school’s principal Kristin Kinghorn for the program’s success.
As a Title I school, Andersen Elementary is committed to providing every student with opportunities for growth and enrichment, regardless of their background. This program aligns with CUSD’s Portrait of a Learner initiative, which focuses on education for the whole child and aims to equip students with skills to succeed such as critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability.
About Andersen Elementary School
Andersen Elementary School is a preschool through fifth grade school. The Andersen Astronauts recently became an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme school, which further empowers students to become global thinkers through a rigorous, hands-on curriculum. The school has been in the Chandler community since 1984. Visit cusd80.com/andersen to learn more about the school. Ready to enroll? Visit cusd80.com/enroll.
