SEE Classroom bridges cultures with culinary competition

Living in such a multicultural society as we do in Australia is a great privilege.

The breadth of experiences and tastes of other cultures we have access to is not something you see in every country.

That’s why the MAX team at Mirrabooka held a cooking contest for this year’s Refugee Week.

What better way to celebrate the diversity of our country than indulging in tasty treats from all over the globe!

The competition was held over two days with 8 categories, each representing a different food culture.

Students were not just cooking but judging as well, with some of the judges delivering their verdicts as speeches with all the drama and tension you might see on MasterChef.

Food is such a central part of people’s lives no matter where you are from and naturally there are a lot of fond memories associated with food.

So it wasn’t a surprise that over the course of the competition, there were many fond stories of home shared.

The stories the students told really emphasised their similarities with each other not their differences and many classmates developed stronger bonds.

Students also learnt about many of the challenging situations their refugee classmates had to face before arriving in Australia.

The storytellers felt heard and seen and those listening to their stories gained some greater understanding and a wider perspective.

The teachers made a big effort to ensure the space was welcoming and all the students felt comfortable sharing their stories and food.

While the students certainly had a lot of fun, we think the teachers probably had more.

It looks like this might become a tradition for the Mirrabooka team!