The Atholton High School students whose buffalo chicken wrap won the Howard County schools' Top Chef competition in 2009 were invited to tour the White House last weekend.

During their Aug. 28 tour of the East Wing, the group saw several rooms, the dishes of former presidents and the grounds -- but not the kitchen.

"I think it really affirmed for the students what they did," said Laurie Collins, the instructional facilitator of the school system's culinary academy. "What could be a greater honor than to be invited by the first lady? They felt their contributions had been noticed at the highest level."

The students were invited on the tour after an aide to first lady Michelle Obama read about the Howard County contest (which challenged high school culinary students to create a healthy entree to be added to school lunch offerings) and saw how the effort aligns with the first lady's Let's Move! program, a national campaign to combat childhood obesity, increase availability of healthy school meals and spotlight innovative nutrition programs in public schools.

The winning buffalo chicken wrap is now offered in Howard County's high school cafeterias. As the culinary competition enters its third year, students will be creating an entire week's worth of menu items.

"They're really progressing from one recipe to a week's worth," Collins said. " ... It's a combination of nutritional education, as well as hands-on and an end product that we can use."The students were accompanied on the White House tour by Atholton culinary teacher Liela Razik, past Atholton principal Marcy Leonard, current Atholton Principal Jennifer Clements and Mary Klatko, head of Howard County schools food and nutrition services.

From: the Howard County Times

http://www.explorehoward.com/community/74509/school-lunch-item-earns-atholton-high-school-students-white-house-trip/