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PHOTOS BY CLARE JENSEN

CULTURAL CUISINE. Greek chef Ernesto Gomez explains how to make the Greek spanakopitas to Foss High School drama students Sept. 15. Restaurant owners have partnered with Foss High School to offer an eight-week off-campus learning experience for students interested in foods and cultures of the world.

After-school gets cultured

By Clare Jensen

For about 10 Foss students, every other Monday evening will now be immersed in art, culture, language and exotic foods.

Owners of Opa Greek Cuisine have partnered with long-time Foss teacher Valerie Navarro to create this diverse and enriching curriculum as an option for some students to broaden their high school horizons.

About every other week until Jan. 12, the students will enter the restaurant learning how to make a food from a particular country, and create a piece of art to go along with it.

One week it will be mole and Frida Kahlo-influenced character portraits. Another will be sauces and gateaux of France, with scenes performed in the language.

On Sept. 15 it was hand-made Greek spanakopitas and Greek theater.

Owners and chefs Ernesto Gomez and Roberto Luiz will instruct the students in the fields of cooking, as well as theater and visual arts.

Luiz is an accomplished painter and former professional actor. Gomez specializes in teaching cuisine.

“Cuisine, art, theater… it’s all a part of culture,” Luiz said. “It’s like traveling – except in your own country.”

Luiz noted that many youth might be unaware of other cultures, especially their history, art and impact in the world. “A lot of (youth) just know about war. There is so much more than that. When someone knows more about other cultures, it benefits (them).”

Navarro met Luiz and Gomez last year as a customer at Opa. Their relationship rooted in the arts has grown over time, leading to the collaboration between Foss and the restaurant.

The interdisciplinary activities are open to everyone, but at this point they have mainly drawn the interest of theater art students at the high school

Navarro said some students are fitting the activities into their senior projects and portfolios, and students can get credit for their hours at Opa.

“This makes a community link so student learning can become valid in a context outside of school,” she said. “It makes a nice link into the work world too. It gives the students an opportunity to (behave) in a business setting instead of classroom setting.”

Junior Ebony Patton said she heard about the program through Navarro, and decided to join in because “she just likes art.”

“I’m pretty excited,” she said. “I think learning is important from different people.”

Patton’s sister, Passia Abraham, signed up for a similar reason. She loves performing and values the idea of being culturally “well-rounded.”

“Being an insider on Greek food – it’s intriguing,” she said.

Students have the option of attending all the sessions, or picking and choosing the dates that interest them most. A cost of $10 per session, or $5 for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, is set to cover activity costs.

Navarro hopes that anyone interested in learning more about foods, arts and cultures of the world participates in the activities. A student showcase featuring the best work throughout the sessions will be presented to the public at the restaurant Jan. 12.

There are also additional opportunities for other school groups interested in partnering with the local restaurant for similar activities. For more information call Opa Greek Cuisine at (253) 565-0505.

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