CDE Field Trips - 3/12/25: The STEAD School's Food Crew

At the STEAD School, a charter school in the Brighton 27J Schools district, students aren’t just learning in classrooms—they’re running a fully operational food service program. 

Every morning during the first period, a group of students prepares lunch from scratch. From knife skills to food safety, they gain hands-on experience that rivals professional culinary training.

On a Friday in January, the Food Crew prepared a student favorite: hamburgers with whole wheat buns and potato wedges, chopped, roasted, seasoned and cooked by the students themselves. It’s a far cry from the pre-packaged meals many schools serve. 

“They’re making the food, serving it, and eating it, so there’s a lot of buy-in,” said Dain Holland, the school’s farm and food manager.

This self-operated kitchen was born two years ago when the school opted to move away from catered meals. Unlike most charter schools, the STEAD School had the infrastructure to support in-house meal preparation. The program has since grown into a robust culinary and food science course.

Beyond cooking, students log temperatures, mix sanitizer solutions, and ensure food safety, learning industry-standard practices. These skills prepare them for real-world restaurant jobs and align with the school’s emphasis on hands-on learning and career and technical education.

The school also runs a one-acre regenerative farm where students cultivate produce for the kitchen. From farm to table to compost, they’ve built a sustainable food system—one that not only feeds their peers but also fosters invaluable life skills.

STEAD students also plant crops in a high-tech greenhouse and work on real-world projects like analyzing food insecurity. The school takes a project-based approach, integrating agriculture with science, technology, and design, ensuring students gain practical, applicable skills.

The school collaborates with Colorado State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists, and local farms, providing students with access to cutting-edge research and work-based learning opportunities.