Igniting Minds

Students visited HMart, a supermarket chain founded by a South Korean immigrant that has grown into a beloved destination for Korean and Asian cuisine. During the visit, students explored a wide variety of authentic Korean and pan-Asian groceries, from fresh produce and seafood to specialty snacks, sauces, and ready-made meals. The experience offered insight into the cultural significance of food, the role of immigrant entrepreneurship, and how global culinary traditions are preserved and shared within local communities.

In May, IMC hosted a series of engaging classroom and community events that blended creativity, culture, and cooking with students from Chicago Jesuit Academy and Ray Elementary School. Inside the classroom, students participated in a classroom drawing activity where they explored food themes and prepared for an upcoming farmers market by designing signage and displays.
Later, we brought the experience outdoors with a hands-on cooking session during the farmers market event. Using a variety of ingredients, students helped prepare and share flavorful dishes such as Arepas that reflected their heritage and connected with their local communities.
These events offered a meaningful opportunity to combine food education, cultural expression, and community engagement.