New Roots Grow in GreenStar's Bakery

Last Updated on Friday, 08 July 2011 20:39

"Everybody eats food, but you don't necessarily know how it gets on your plate." That's one of the reasons that Zoe Fassett-Manuszewski, a tenth grader at Ithaca's New Roots Charter School, was interested in an internship at GreenStar's Bakery. For Zoe and two other New Roots students, working in

the Bakery helped them learn about the behind-the-scenes of food while gaining valuable job experience.

When a student came to Sarah Rubenstein-Gillis, the school's Director of Community Programs, seeking a food-related community internship, GreenStar was the first place that came to mind. As a 15-year GreenStar member herself, Sarah felt that GreenStar's values and mission aligned nicely with that of the young school, which integrates sustainability and social justice issues into its curriculum. She approached GreenStar and received an enthusiastic response from Bakery Manager Lisa Marsella. Since then, Zoe and two other students, 11th graders Niaome Hickman and Tiaira Neil, have interned in the Bakery, learning new skills and developing community relationships.

The intern program is a component of New Roots' hands-on, community-based approach to learning. Opened in 2009, the small public high school is housed in downtown Ithaca's historic Clinton House. Sarah seeks to match students' interests with community resources, and students have worked in many diverse settings, including with a farrier at Cornell Vet School, at an auto repair shop, with a local web developer and at the History Center. "We're extremely fortunate to be in a community that really values education and is open to the idea of passing on what they know," said Sarah. "And I feel very grateful to the people in our community, like Lisa, who are open to having our students there — it definitely takes extra effort and time."

Lisa had previous experience working with interns from Lehman Alternative Community School, and thought working with students from New Roots would be equally gratifying. "It's exciting to see someone learn and grow," she said. A former homeschooling parent, Lisa has plenty of experience with one-on-one teaching. "I work with them individually a lot," she said, "and I am really intentional about choosing things for them to do so they can develop skills."

For some of the interns, GreenStar's emphasis on healthy, natural ingredients has been a part of their home life, but not for all of them. "I had no natural foods background," said Tiaira, "but I wanted to know more about eating healthier and other options, so GreenStar is a good place to be."

For Zoe, being in an actual professional kitchen setting was not what she expected. "In movies professional kitchens are chaotic and rude, and the Bakery is not like that at all," she said. All three students cited the Bakery's community-like atmosphere as one of the best things about the internships. "Lisa was really, really understanding of mistakes," said Niaome. "It seemed like it was all about us," added Zoe. "She'd stop what she was doing to teach us something."

Lisa's own son chose to attend New Roots this year. "The style of learning there, the smallness of the school, and the creativity there makes it a natural continuation of homeschooling," she said. "It's been an all-positive experience for him."

The three New Roots students agreed that the internship experience would make them feel more confident about applying for a job, food-related or otherwise. And for Tiaira, the experience may be the start of a career. She's exploring attending college for culinary nutrition, baking or pastry arts. "I was already interested," she explained," but now I want to pursue it even more."