Elementary School Inventor Series

This month’s menu is a little different than most and one of our favorite menus to create each year. We worked with elementary schools around Portland and Los Angeles to curate this set of imaginative flavors!

We worked closely with the elementary schools located nearest our three scoop shops in Portland and two scoop shops in Los Angeles for this fun Ice Cream Inventing “Assignment”. The schools are:

• Abernethy Elementary in Southeast Portland
• Vernon Elementary in Northeast Portland
• Chapman Elementary in Northwest Portland
• Larchmont Charter School in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles
• Westminster Elementary in Venice Beach

At each of these schools students dug deep in their creative minds to come up with all kinds of new ice cream flavors. Submissions in past years ranged from “Chocolate Sardines” to “Chimi-Churro Delight” ... yum!

At each school, we teamed up with the local PTAs and teachers to be able to make this Ice Cream Inventing “Assignment” fun and rewarding for the students we work with. We presented at school assemblies, staff meetings, and more to help the students and teachers unlock those creative juices!

Because of the amazing work by our students and the great flavors that are coming out of this collaboration we will be able to donate proceeds from these ice cream flavors to the schools that invented them!

One of our favorite parts of this fun menu is that each of our scoop shops get to feature three different flavors created by their neighborhood school! So, Portland, that means there are nine different flavors for you try this month! And, Los Angeles, there are six yummy flavors for you to enjoy!

Be sure to go by all of our scoop shops to try all the featured flavors Here is a bit more about each of the schools we had the pleasure of working with and the flavors that came out of this super special collaboration: Abernethy Elementary (near our SE Division shop in Portland) Abernethy is a cute little elementary tucked away in Ladd’s Addition in SE Portland near our SE Division shop.

We are especially amazed by Abernethy’s School Kitchen Garden program which works with students to learn food-based education, to build and maintain their own garden space, and to learn cooking with a chef using fresh produce! We are honored to be able to donate to the Abernethy Foundation that is setup to fund PE teachers, library usage, garden classes, and art enrichment programs! Blah Blah Black Berrie by Ruby, 2nd Grade Cinnatopia by Ella, 2nd Grade The Kail Creeasheon by Elly, 1st Grade Vernon Elementary (near our NE Alberta shop in Portland) Located just a block away from our NE Alberta shop, Vernon is a school that we’ve been close to ever since we opened Salt & Straw.

Two years ago, we collaborated with their students which led to the birth of Rainbow Splash, a Rainbow Sherbet made with real Skittles! The money raised from sales of that flavor became seed money for Nike to help fund a new basketball court.

This year, we are excited to help the Vernon PTA raise money that helps fund resident artists, a garden coordinator, class field trips, and music & arts programs. Tropical Swirl by Arianna, 4th Grade Complement Crunch by Charlotte, Kindergarten Bean and Cheese Burrito by Madina, 4th Grade Chapman Elementary (near our NW 23rd shop in Portland) Chapman sits atop a hill in the Alphabet neighborhood around our NW 23rd shop.

We love Chapman because of their “Weekly Round-ups” where the entire school gathers and a few students from each class present to their schoolmates on what they are learning, fun facts, and how everyone can help in the new projects. Tyler, our head ice cream maker, was able to join in one of these round-ups and talk about the life of an ice cream maker.

Funding the Chapman Foundation provides money to help hire staff for the music, library, literacy, and child development programs. Sunday Morning Brunch by Nea Beet-tastic by Isaac Triple Chocolat Cheerio Chimp by Fiona Larchmont Charter School (near our Larchmont Village shop in LA) Starting with Kindergarten, Larchmont Charter School is an integral part of this community, providing access to exceptional education for everyone in the neighborhood, regardless of financial circumstances.

Their mission is to create a thirst for knowledge using experiential based education. Working with this school and raising money for such an amazing partner helps create the best ice cream menu ever! Larchmont Charter School: Inspire Education through Experience Caramel Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake by Emmelyne, 4th Grade Coconut Flan by Natalie, 4th Grade Sparkling Ginger by Maya, 4th Grade Westminster Elementary (near our Venice Beach shop in LA).

We think Westminster is one of the most amazing examples of a school and community pulling together to transform the public school (one that is emerging from an, at one time, dangerous neighborhood) into one that is quickly becoming the top of its class in reading, science & math, technology, and music & arts.

The leaders at this school, both parents and teachers, are going out of their way to fundraise using creative ideas like selling student street art, renting out the parking lot during off-school hours, and selling produce from their gardens to local restaurants.

The result is an elementary school that fosters art in ways that we’ve never seen, it teaches gardening from sprout to fruit, it has an innovative music program where the students are playing on real instruments. We’re absolutely honored to be able to be a part of this little slice of magic in the Abbot Kinney neighborhood and create this program to help raise money and increase the good coming out of this school. Sadie’s Surprise by Sadie, Kindergarten Jack’s Fruit Thai Coconut by Ice, 2nd Grade Waffle and Syrup by Christian Tyler Malek Head Ice Cream Maker