« Back to Picture and Video Gallery Page

America’s Oldest Flour Company Teaches St. Christina Students
to Bake, Give Back to the Community - Pictures
Year 2010-2011

St. Christina students in grades 4 through 7 attended a presentation on baking bread given by The King Arthur Flour Company of Norwich, Vermont, through the Life Skills Bread Baking Program. The purpose of the program was to apply math and science concepts to a fun baking experience, and to provide an opportunity for students to contribute to the community. They learned firsthand about the process of baking bread and were provided with materials to bake bread at home with their families. Each student received two bags of flour, a recipe booklet, yeast, scraper, and donation bag. One of the baked loaves was to be enjoyed at home and the other loaf came back to school and was donated to the St. Christina Bread Program. This program was a huge success and the St. Christina students baked and donated approximately 175 loaves of bread.

The King Arthur Flour Life Skills Bread Baking Program visits 4th through 7th graders in schools across the country and in the past decade has taught more than 120,000 school children how to bake bread. Students bake the bread at home with their families, and then bring a loaf back to school to be donated to a local food pantry or homeless shelter.

King Arthur Flour also incorporates whole grains into the demonstrations, teaching kids what whole grains are, why they’re important in a healthy diet, and how to use them in everyday baking. Each student receives bags of both King Arthur All-Purpose Flour and King Arthur 100% Organic White Whole Wheat Flour to help them bake healthy breads at home.

Senior Life Skills Instructor Paula Gray says she loves teaching children the skill of bread baking - a hands-on way for kids to learn math, science, and cultural traditions all while having fun - and hopes they bring that skill home and share it with loved ones. The program helps involve children with community service, too. “They’re learning the value and the joy of giving something back to the community,” she says.

Teachers are also enthusiastic about the unique learning opportunities afforded by the Life Skills Bread Baking Program, through which students can see, feel, and consume what they’ve learned.

King Arthur Flour, founded in 1790, is America’s oldest flour company and the world’s premier baking resource. To find more information about the company, visit www.kingarthurflour.com/lifeskills or call 802-299-2240.