1st Annual Cougar Showcase
Escondido High School showed off what they have to offer
On Thursday, May 30th, Escondido High School (EHS) held their first annual Cougar Showcase from 4:30-7:30pm. The on-campus event had activities from across academic departments, and included food trucks as well as booths from community partners such as Interfaith and Neighborhood Healthcare, and booths for campus clubs.
Although this was their first showcase event, EHS is the oldest high school in Escondido. EHS originally opened in 1894 and has moved locations twice. The current site on North Broadway was built in 1954 and at that time, EHS served students not only from Escondido, but from San Marcos, Poway and Valley Center. (For more information on the history of our local school districts, including when Poway, San Marcos and Valley Center got their own high schools, see Why Are Escondido’s Schools Not Unified.)
EHS has a large farm and agricultural program and the AG department had a lot of activities Thursday night. The Cougar Market was open, as it is every Thursday during the school year, selling citrus, artichokes, eggs, flower arrangements and plants that night.
They also had a project showcase where students showed off their projects for the year. The projects I saw were diverse. One student shared how he experimented to determine ideal growing conditions for beet root, while another shared how she worked to train a service dog for the blind. Another student explained her project on flowers and how she learned that geraniums are a low maintenance flower compared to roses.
There were livestock shows featuring sheep and goats as well as poster boards of student livestock projects.
The Culinary Arts department tied into the farm showcase with a Farm-to-Table competition. Each team had unique menus that all looked delicious.
Above is just a sample of some of the Farm-to-Table menus. Culinary Arts teacher Mrs. Cynthia Gavin told me that her students learn to make a beverage, a main dish, a side dish and a dessert, and each one has to incorporate an ingredient from the farm at EHS. Some of the ingredients locally sourced include herbs like oregano, thyme, and cilantro, as well as fruits (oranges and strawberries) and eggs.
I wasn’t able to see everything at the event in the time that I had. In addition to the AG department and culinary showcases, there were sports activities, a car show, STEM activities for kids, a drama showcase, and musical and dance performances. I look forward to the next Cougar Showcase.