Throughout the last few weeks, students in Mrs. Zook’s Nutrition and Food Science class and Mrs. Wall’s Marketing & Advertising class collaborated on a ‘food truck face off’ unit.
The students were paired up and split into groups of two or three to actively collaborate and work on creating their own food truck presentation. The presentations were given to a panel of five judges and their classmates, with the winning food truck choosing a few menu items for the classes to make at the end of the week.
Once separated into groups, students had to sit down and research the type of food truck they were interested in creating. When the type of cuisine was finalized, each group was to come up with a name and slogan.
Groups conducted research on market pricing for how much equipment would cost to run their food truck.
A 0:15 social media clip or advertisement created by the students was included in their presentations. Students provided reasoning to the judges on why their food truck should be voted as the best in the class.
A group of five staff members and administrators from the high school made up the panel of judges. The winning food truck, Coffee on the Go, was selected by the five judges.
One of the key components that helped secure the votes from the judges, was the design Coffee on the Go put into their food truck. The winning food truck also provided an explanation during their presentation of their plan to donate a portion of their sales to a local animal shelter.
Through the unit, students were able to foster new relationships, conduct research to prepare for their presentation, practice networking skills, and work on being an accountable partner.
Mrs. Zook noted, “Problem-based learning combines all of my favorite elements as a teacher. Food truck face off continues to grow each year. It turns classroom objectives into a recipe for success by mixing creativity and teamwork with real-life experiences.”
The following day, local food truck owner, Angel Mejias, spoke with the classes on his experience as a food truck owner. Students could submit questions for Mejias to answer while talking to the group.
Following the Q&A session, the classes headed to the parking lot to sample some of the empanadas from Mejias’ food truck, Halo’s Eatery. Thanks to a Venture Grant from the Penn Manor Education Foundation, each student was able to enjoy a fresh empanada.
With the food truck, Coffee on the Go securing the top spot, the next two classes were dedicated to students baking and creating a select few menu items. Students baked coffee cake and got to be their own barista constructing their own coffee-based drink.
Congratulations to Cady and Sydney for winning the competition!