The Opp Helps Mr. Calloway’s Students Thrive

March 25, 2024

Betty Casey,

Mr. Calloway and three students in his culinary arts program, facilitated by the opportunity project — A Culinary Arts club created by English teacher Christian Calloway at East Central Middle School teaches cooking and life skills. (l-r) Alison Moreno, Erhanna Auputia, Mr. Calloway and Gao Yang.

“For every child in an afterschool program, four more children are waiting to get in.” (Afterschool Alliance)

As a high school student in Albuquerque, Christian Calloway was freshly emancipated from his parents, living in a youth shelter, and looking for a career option that would help him finance a college degree. He landed on culinary arts, which did support him through an English education degree by cooking at hotels and working after-school childcare jobs.

Now an English teacher in his first year at East Central Middle School, Calloway wants to pay it forward to those who helped him. In addition to his teaching duties – of 160 kids – Calloway sponsors several afterschool activities, including the ECS Culinary Arts after-school program. The activity is supported by The Opportunity Project, or “The Opp,” a nonprofit that serves as an intermediary for students to have access to high-quality afterschool and summer programs.

The Opportunity Project

The Opp partners with schools and teachers to develop programming “to ensure that all Tulsa youth have equitable access to after-school and summer enrichment programs that are dynamic, safe and engaging.” Teachers develop the activities according to their students’ needs and interests and are paid a stipend by The Opp for teaching the extra class. In the spring of 2023, 129 educators led clubs.

“We are at 63 sites in TPS,” says Lauren Sivak, executive director of The Opp, “and are expanding to more schools. After-school programs build better connections and relationships. They keep kids from being home alone.”

“The Opp has been great,” Calloway says. “We partnered with them to get equipment (for the culinary club), and they help with buying food by providing grocery store gift cards.” Calloway says that he also buys ingredients out of pocket and that other teachers have helped.

Buying supplies is not always easy since Calloway doesn’t own a car. He lives a 10-minute walk from the school and finds the city bus service inadequate to get anywhere in a timely manner, but he makes it work. He says donating gift cards or cash to The Opp (theopp.org) can help provide food and other supplies for his program and others.

Teaching More Than Culinary Skills

The culinary arts club has already met many of the school culture, safety and equity goals that Sivak says The Opp hopes to achieve by supporting high-quality, site-based after-school activities.

Knowing that many of his students suffer from food insecurity, Calloway plans the culinary program around food that students might get in a food bank package. In addition to learning the difference between sauté and sear, or how to make a Creole sauce, students learn about budgeting and serving sizes.

“Some have working parents,” Calloway says. “The kids are here until 6 or 7 at night, so we’re able to send them home with food at a low cost that has helped them.”

The program has also built a sense of community and a positive environment for the kids. “They talk about how much they love the club,” Calloway says, “and ask what they’re going to cook next.”

An Academic Incentive

Since students must have good attendance, behavior and grades to participate in the club, Calloway says he can use it as an incentive to encourage students to get their grades up in other classes. Calloway says the kids in his classes have seen a 30 percent growth this year across all standards, and “the club has definitely helped. The kids see me doing extra stuff, which helps with relationships.”

To enhance the entire school culture, Calloway held a cooking tournament where students created a budget and then prepared their best dishes for teachers to judge.

“The cafeteria smelled amazing,” Calloway says. “The students become part of the school culture. It brings up motivation in all areas. School culture is everything.”

Calloway says he always wanted to be a teacher. “I had a few great teachers,” he says. “They were unwavering in their support. They spent their own money feeding me on holidays. It’s not about the money; it’s about how you inspire others. I try to live close to that pay-it-forward mentality. Culinary Arts has really helped on bad days. Sharing a meal with the kids is awesome. They love it.”